Another star, another galaxy Book 1
by bruce460
Summary: Since arriving on Destiny they have always struggled to survive, ether by lack of air, food, or water. Long before they arrived, outside forces were trying to capture or destroy the ship. Built by an ancient race millions of years ago sent on a long journey of discovery in the direction of the center of the universe


Since arriving on Destiny they have always struggled to survive, ether by lack of air, food, or water. Long before they arrived, outside forces were trying to capture or destroy the ship.

Built by an ancient race millions of years ago sent on a long journey of discovery in the direction of the center of the universe, where according to the data files in Destiny's database there lies an order to the background radiation left over by the big bang. A sign of intelligence, so the record said,

Now the way word crew of Destiny find themselves in a new galaxy booming with many races joined together in a federation of sorts. Destiny repaired with the help from their new allies. Unknowingly to the Destiny crew or the other races, that hiding in plain sight is a race of ruthless killers that are actually in control of all the know civilizations and their people. But why hide you accomplishments in setting up a utopia civilization, unless…

Another star, another galaxy

Marian Wallace lay in her hospital bed comfortable for now, with all the medication she is on, she sometimes wakes up disorientated and confused, an IV had been placed in her left arm earlier to keep her hydrated sense she was unable to keep anything down anymore. She feels a presence at her right side, she turns her head to her right and opens her eyes slightly. "Eli, are you still here?"

"Yeah, I like watching you sleep, you look so peacefully. May I ask you what you were dreaming about?"

"Oh it was nothing, just someone trying to get me to let go of my problems." Marian said.

"Really, well maybe you should think about it."

"Why I have you here with me now. How long can you stay anyway?"

"Oh I don't know I have no idea how I got here." Eli said with some confusion as he looked around the room."

A nursing aid at the station heard talking and laughing from the room down the hall to the left. She got up and headed down the hall, 'this isn't visiting time.' she thought too her self as she heard a male's voice. Has she approached the room's door a bright light flashed around the door frame. She hesitated then pushed the door open and entered the room.

Chapter 1

Waking up

"Darkness ..."

"Warmth ..."

"Brightness …."

"Pain …."

Space, cold, vast and mostly empty between distant masses held in a never ending orbit by an overpowering gravitational hold. Seen from afar, a beautiful movement as a dance of union. Yet every point of light moving in its own dance, as an act of war to oppose the ballet.

Imagine if you will, moving through the space between those masses, at the speed of light. A blue glow flowing by you, as matter that has not felt the radioactive heat of a star in an unimaginable time. As it is pushed aside by your passing, and heated up to the lower end of the light spectrum. Your path redirected by large objects, or a point in space that is void of light, absorbing all light or matter, as if feeding on it to survive the coldness of deep space. In the distance a point of light shinned brighter then the others around it becoming clear that it was the closest, and will be reached first in time, for the blue glow dissipates around you only now no longer traveling at the speed of light, but drifting in space with only the momentum of dropping a more noticeable speed, as if any would notice far out in the void. The power needed to drive the ship at such tremendous speeds was depleted and the ancient ship, ravaged be time, and damage brought a pone it by many different forces was forced to travel with no propulsion to save what power that was left to keep the shields up while refueling at the star to restore power to the ships systems. The star will be reached in time, but what else is there to do way out here.

A lone star drifting slowly though the cold blackness on the edge of millions of its brethren in a swirling circle of light and gas. A solitude only interrupted by an occasional comet or asteroid passing through the system. It may have had planets circling slowly held in an orbit like the grip of a hand holding it in place at one time, but they were destroyed or pulled away from its grip by a stronger gravitational hold a long time ago, and left nothing but debris. Some were full of life never to feel the warmth of a star ever again, and most did not. All where torn apart leaving just particles when a darkness so black and evil that nothing could withstand its pull, not even light. It came very close to destroying the star itself. It took thousands of years to recover its gravitational grip on the system around it, pulling the debris back together to form larger objects. Maybe someday a planet large enough that life may once again soak up the light from the star and flourish.

A large object drifting towards the star brings solitude to an end once more. No natural object by any means, but a triangular shape, with a sharp curving outward from the tip to two outer wing tips and a slow curve at the back, with a layered structure on top. It is moving slow but its Course will bring it to the star in time.

As it reached the star, it passes through the outer reaches of the star, some sort of pylons descend from the underside of the strange object. And again the star is having its resources ripped from it. When it has passed through and moves away from the star it vanishes with the flash of light leaving the star in its solitude once again.

The first star Destiny came to was a small star, a little low on the range of what the ship could use, but it will do until the next one. Destiny dropped from FTL just short of the out edges of the system and had to drift awhile to save power for the shields.

The shields are so low it would have to be a quick dip into the upper corona to restore power to engines. A lot of asteroid debris bouncing off the hull is taxing the shields, but they are holding. A low unknown signal was picked up as Destiny left the system,

On the second star, after the Destiny replenished its fuel tanks, power is ever so slowly restored to non-vital systems. Sensor's detected a lone ship entering the system and started pacing Destiny. Destiny entered light speed soon after.

By the third star system along Destiny's flight path, the computer had updated the stargate database and noted that the use of the stargate network was none existent, but there is an intelligent space travel race present in this galaxy. Maybe they are friendly, but more than likely not, just like all the rest that came before. And again sensor's detected a lone ship entering the system and started pacing Destiny. Then another, then three more.

Lights come on in the stasis chambers, as the automatic subroutines begin to wake up its occupants. As any like system, if there were a common thing to use in deep space, the essential crew members were awaken first. Command crew, medical personnel, science personal, and so on.

Colonel Young slowly opens his eyes and leans forward. Clearing his head and focusing on the immediate area, for he is a man who likes, no demands to know what's going on around him at all times. It's a way to keep control of things, to prevent out of control issues. "Waking up usually follows a fast fading dream. I felt like I just went to sleep."

"It does seem like we just went under" TJ stepped forward down from the stasis unit she had been kept alive in for the past three years or was it longer. She stretches but a little wobbly in the legs

Lieutenant Scott falls forward on to the floor and rolls to his side. "Felt like a night on the town but without the drinks."

Rush stretches then starts to walk towards the exit. "Well first things first, I'll go check on our status before we wake the others."

"Why not wake them now?" TJ asked.

Rush stopped and turned to face TJ. "If anything went wrong, it may be better to leave them where they are, Just in case."

Colonel Young walks past Rush. "Okay, let's go check it out."

"I can do it better alone, you'll just get in the way." Said Rush as he turns to follow Young.

Young keeps walking. "I'll just come along anyway."

"Suit yourself"

Young stop's and looks at the stasis pod that Eli was to have fixed. It was empty. "TJ go ahead and check on everyone else, make sure everything is okay with the chambers. I'll keep you posted. Also you need to know that one of the pods failed to stay powered up at the last minute, and Eli volunteered to stay and try to fix it. I take it that didn't happen. Seeing that his pod is empty. So we will have a service for him when everyone is awake."

Lt. Scott stands up and steps up to Colonel Young. "Wait sir, you saying Eli is… he's dead?"

"Yes, that's what I am saying. Look at his chamber, do you see him?"

"You don't know that sir, he could have been awake before us and at the control room already."

Rush walked up to the stasis pod control panel, presses a few buttons. "Well it's still inoperative, so I have to agree with the Colonel's assessment, Eli is not with us anymore."

TJ setting on the edge of here her chamber, tears flowing from her eyes. "Why did you let him do that? He was so young."

Colonel Young looked down at his feet and remembers the last conversation he had with Eli.

Colonel Young walks in to the command center and leans against the wall. "According to, ah Rush, there's two of us going into the pods now, today. The one that stays outside can keep minimal life support going for 2 weeks, before it starts eating into the power reserve for the jump."

"Sounds about right."

"Well, he's, he's volunteered to be the one."

Eli steps away from the console, and turns towards Young. "You're kidding me. Really"

"Yeah, he says he's most qualified to figure out what's wrong with the pod, and then fix it."

"I don't know about that."

"Yeah, I don't mean I can let him do it. I think it's a, it's a going to be me."

"You're going to fix the pod?"

"I'm obviously not going to fix the pod Eli."

"You're talking about suicide"

"I can't trust him, I can't be sure he's going to do the right thing when the time comes."

"I admit he's not perfect, but I don't..."

"What if he doesn't find a solution, what after 2 weeks he loses his nerve then he keeps the life support going, even just for a few days, then what happens?"

"Then we drop out early and drift."

"And wake up in a thousand years."

"If we wake up at all." Eli say's with a worried look.

"Right. I don't see no choice." Young walks past Eli and starts down the corridor.

Eli looks down in deep thought. "No, it's not." Young stops and turns and walks back to him. "I'll do it."

"Eli."

"If you stay out, its automatic, you're dead. If I do it, at least I have a chance, maybe even a better chance than Rush. For too long I've been content to stay in his shadow, play the part of the eager young prodigy, take his order's, but… hah I'm not afraid to say it anymore. I'm smarter than him, and all three of us know it."

"I, I can't ask you to do that."

"And I can't take no for an answer, sorry."

TJ watches the Colonel stare at the pod and knows how he feels. Eli was an important member of the crew, even though he was part of the reason we are here by helping Rush solve the ninth chevron, it was Rush that dialed here and not earth. Yes it may have destroyed SGC when the Icarus base was destroyed. It was still on Rush as far as most of the crew felt about it. Eli had saved us numerous times, and will be missed. "Yes sir, I understand." TJ said to try to redirect his dredging on the past, and drying the tears from her cheeks.

"Let's go" Young snap's back to the now

"After you Colonel." Rush said and follows Young out of the stasis chamber hallway.

The long quit walk ended as they came into the control room, and it was not empty. "What the bloody hell". Rush backs away, back the way they had come. Time seamed to slow down, as everything happened at the same time.  
Young grab his radio. "Scott to the control room now, and armed"

A point of view

The strange ship lay before them, obviously old and beat up. The boarding pod moved slowly towards the hole in the hull that the research vessel Sirenea's sensor's detected while scanning for life forms. There had been no response to their hails as of yet. This was the third time they had tracked the alien ship two a new star system. The lack of life forms has the united consortium worried that an incursion from the automated ships in the neighboring galaxy that the deep space exploring expedition encountered, have finally determined that this galaxy was most likely where they came from. They had to move fast before it jumps away into what they have now learned to be a light speed engine. No race as of yet have ever used such space travel this way, so this will be an information mission and that was all. They had learned that the ship used the star's plasma most likely to power the engine's and probably all the other systems aboard, so hopefully they can tap into those systems and extract what they need, and get out.

Tta'nal, A Kemptla from the Clevarion system, one of the higher civilizations in the consortium, an economical federation. He is the lead scientist on this excursion, and he waited in the back of the pod that will be docking with the hole. "How much longer?" he asked.

"Almost there, stop bugging me." Vlakmen replied. She was a Pownia from a planet with a binary star system. They obviously are descendant from a hunting class due to the upper and lower jaws full of sharp teeth. There was a bump and vibration in the hull of the pod.

"What was that?"

"That is the alien ships shields trying the deflect us, but..." she pressed a few icons on his console. "I just need to polarize our shields to match its. Okay we should be good to go. Now remember our window is short. The ship is a ways from the star, where we think it restores its power reserves. When it exits on the other side it will jump away, forcing us to track it again. Let's make this quick we have no idea how hot it gets when it passes through the star." She moved towards the back picking up the utility bags on the floor next the pod opening, the others did the same; Vlakmen grabbed the pistols from the weapons locker.

"Really, do we need those?" Tta'nal said.

"The scan's may not have shown no life form's, but considering what we may be facing we cannot take chances can we!" he held out the gun to him.

"Yes of course you are right". He took the weapons and placed it in his bag.

"Why did you place it in your bag? You should have it ready."

"Now... if I did I would not be able to carry all this equipment could I! So let's get on with it shall we." He turns to the third member of their team. "Do you have everything you need Pac'yu?" Who was also a Kemptla.

"Yes Professor." He said.

Vlakmen pushed the icon on the panel next to the door, and the door split in the middle and the panels moved sideways in opposite directions. Before them was the hole in the hull of the alien ship. There was a rush of sudden air, dry and Stale. "Well the air though old shows there was some life forms at one time." She moved forward.

"Stop..." Pac'yu shouted.

"What's wrong?" Vlakmen asked.

Pac'yu pointed to the hole. "It's an illusion. Our perception is we will be walking into a hallway, but actuality we will be falling into that hallway. We are on top of the ship, sort of speak."

Vlakmen looked at him with a questionable look, then it dawned on her, and she felt like someone slapped her across the face. "Wow... thank you that would have hurt, and made this a short trip."

Tta'nal turned and looked at her. "Don't worry we would just leave you behind to watch over the ship."

She stared at him in defiance. "You do know I think you are an idiot right."

"Charming as every Vlakmen, that's why I asked for you on this mission, you keep things interesting. Well it looks to be only a few Alar… down, we could jump down."

"Or we could just climb down!" Vlakmen opened the locker again, and pulled out bundle, opened it, dropped it into the hole and latched it to the side of the door. She waved her hand towards the hole. "There, a ladder. I'll go first to make sure it's clear."

"Okay, but be careful. I would hate to lose you so soon." Tta'nal said as he watched her climb down into the hallway.

She looked up. "Very funny Tta'nal, if you fail at your current carrier you can always join the funny show." She reached the floor of the hallway, pulled out her weapon flipped on the light on the side, and aimed it down each hall. There were three. The light reaching into the darkness to shin on what looked to be a massive circular door. "All clear." she said. The others climbed down. The other two climbed down. Looked down each hallway. "We need to go this way."

"Why that way? How do know that is the way to go?"

"I don't but we need to start somewhere."

Vlakmen then moved forward.

They moved through the hallways up some ramps, and found themselves three levels up. They stood in front of another circular door. "Well this one is not opening like all the others opened when we walked up to them." Milkmen said as she began studying the mechanism in the center of the door. Suddenly there was a rolling sound they had found to be the doors opening. "That doesn't sound good." Vlakmen said.

"I'll go see what is going on." Pac'yu said, then walked down the ramp and looked down the hall towards the last door they went through, and saw that it was now closed. He found that interesting. Not that the door was now closed, but that he could see it at all. "Well." He called up to the others. "The bad news is." He started back up the ramp. "We may not be able to go back that way."

"This may be a trap." Milkmen said. "So what's the good news?"

Pac'yu walked up to them. "We don't need the flash light anymore. Look down at those panels on the floor, on the sides and on the walls. There is some faint light coming from them." He pointed at the light panels all around them.

"I wonder when those came on." Tta'nal said.

"At least we can see whatever is coming at us." At that moment the door behind them rolled open, and a bright light flooded the hall way. They slowly walked through into the room and found a pillar in the center of the room with what looked like computer consoles, there were four of them on each side. And more doors closed around the room.

Tta'nal began walking around the pillar. "Well... this is as good a place as any to start. Let's unpack and get started. We may be running out of time."

Chapter 02

Reality

The alien's in the control room seamed as shocked as Young and Rush. And just stood there staring back at them for a second before they started screaming at each other and pointing one of 4 fingers at them. Then suddenly they sprinted for some sort of utility bag across the room and came out with what looked like some kind of weapon.

Young snapped back to the now raised his arms slightly "Woo, woo, hold on a minute"

They continued waving the weapons at them and talking in their language. Young looks back at Rush and noticed he seemed lost in his own thoughts staring at the floor and what looked like shivering. No doubt remembering his last sudden encounter with another alien race due to being left behind on a deserted planet where they found a alien space ship, Rush had activated the navigation system that gave them a tot of information on the Galaxy that was not part of the gate system. The activation turned on a homing device unknown to them that the race that built the ship where still around, and later they found out the race had been tracking Destiny long before the Icarus base personnel arrived on Destiny. Young looks back at the frantic aliens. Young pressed the mic on his radio. "Scott report to the control room armed please, make it fast."

Col. Young continued standing there with his hands raised. Behind him he heard Rush begin to moving again. "Well this maybe a problem."

"You think." Young stated as he turned back to face him, only to see Lt. Scott come around the corner and raise his gun.

"Hold it Lt. Let's not make it worse than already is"

"Yes sir. I have them covered if they make any wrong moves"

The aliens seemed to be discussing what to do when they realized they were not the only ones armed. They lowered their own weapons, but one of the aliens that is of a different race did not seem to like that idea. The three started conversing among themselves, then the one closest to the stack of supplies reached down and pulled out a case, placed it on the console and after looking at Scott slowly opened it, then stepped back. Everyone just stood there looking at each other.

The aliens waved and beckoned them to approach and look inside the case. Rush slowly stepped forward and looked down at the contents. Several triangular devices about the size of a dollar coin where resting in foam type padding.

"It looks like some sort of micro implant. Similar to the one's the other aliens used on Chloe and I to scan our minds."

"They kept moving their fingers to their mouth then to us" Scott said.

"Something to do with talking possible."

"Unless there is a universal sign language, I have no idea"

"You know sign language? I had known idea Colonel."

Young stepped up to the case looked in, looked back at Rush. "Rush are you surprised I know more than one language. My cousin was deaf, I learned from him."

"Was?"

"Killed by a hit and run. I know four by the way."

"That's interesting!" Rush said looking at the aliens.

"What?'

"They seem to be listening to us very intently, and they keep pointing at this and to the spot behind what looks like the ear."

Colonel Young reaches into the case and picks up one of the devices looks at it turns it over looks up at the alien. "So an implant scan you think." The alien was nodding its head up and down and pointing at the back of its ear again. He start's to raise his hand with the device to his left side

"Are you sure that is wise Colonel. I mean I was only speculating on its use after all."

"Well we can't just stand here staring at each other, and you know more about destiny then me. You don't want them to get a hold of any information then we want them to have. Besides I'm expendable."

"If you insist, please by all means." Rush said with a smile.

Young looks at Rush who was smiling back at him, the knowledge that the two of them don't get along is well known, but they knew that both tried to get rid of each other, and have come to terms with each other for the betterment of the crew. He smiles back. "Lt. Scott"

"Yes sir "

"If I seem to be doing anything I shouldn't be doing shoot me, and then them. Understood?"

Scott hesitates. Looks into his superiors eyes. "Yes sir, I understand."

Young again raises and places the device behind his ear. A sharp sting then a mild shock and the thing was secure.

"Colonel?" Scott says with concern

"I'm fine Lt. Just hurt a little, but I'm ok"

Rush walks over, and steps in front of Young, "Well what do you hear?"

"I don't hear anything, wait."

The tallest of the three aliens walked up to him talking to him, and he understood him.

"He says it will take a short time to be accustom to the VMT"

"You can understand him sir?" Scott asked.

"Yes." Young looks back at the alien. "I am Colonel Young."

"Yes good it is working, I did not know if it would. Your physical appearance seems much similar to ours. The VMT device already has our language uploaded to it, so all it needs to do is learn some of yours to start translating."

"I see your lips move but I hear you talking in my language. How is that possible?"

Rush quickly grabs two devices and hands one to Scott, who hesitates, but takes one. They both put them on. They bend over in pain but quickly straiten back up. "Wow!"

"Yes it did hurt slightly."

"Maybe for you."

Young asks "What does VMT mean?"

"Visual memory translator. We have one also but it is inserted under the skin. When we enlist into any job that may take us to where we may come into contact with other intelligent life forms. Eventually the one you have will no longer be needed, due to the brain will learn the language after a period of time it will let you know with a series of tones. It may take a while everyone is different."

"Fascinating" Rush said "How did it learn so fast he just put it on."

"All VMT's update continuously, so when you first came in, ours" he pointed behind his ear, "Started recording you words. When you put it on the device starts picking up your word association and memory recall for the words and processes the information, and is processed much faster than the normal brain is capable of."

"Yes well, this is all interesting but, back to when we first came in." Young stated. "How and why are you on this ship?"

"Well this ship."

"Destiny" Rush said.

"What?"

"This ship is called Destiny."

"Oh sorry, we did not know. Any way, we detected this, Destiny at a dying star system that we have a research probe located at. The system is on the outer rim far from any other system. It had been torn apart by a roaming singularity that passed by our galaxy a hundred thousand or so GD years ago. The probe…"

"What is GD years?" Rush asks.

"Oh sorry again. Galactic date. We adapted and adjusted all dates to this a long time ago. It gives us a multicultural date to reference all dates correctly when studying past or current cultures."

"That makes since, we will have to talk about integrating ours with yours sometime."

Colonel Young breaks in again "I think we are getting ahead of ourselves here. Let's get back to how you got here."

Rush looks at Young in a disapproving look on his face.

"Oh yes, well we have probes throughout that part of the outer rim due to a deep space research ship that traveled to a neighboring galaxy over 1000 GD and found a few destroyed cities on different worlds. But found no one to communicate with. Then they stumbled on a system full of what seemed at the time dead ships. Then they became active and eventually destroyed the research ship, but not before it sent a data burst to a known probe in the outer rim systems of this galaxy. Not long after that we setup a watchful eye as we call it. Any way, we tracked Destiny and learned its path and intercepted it at the last system it stopped at and could not prevent it from jumping to light speed."

"But how did you get aboard."

"The shields where weak at first, so we found a hole in the hull only protecting the interior by the shield so we attached an access pod there. It took a while, but we had no choice but to get in. Destiny jumped shortly after the pod was in place and us three where already in the pod."

"I see." Colonel Young look's at Lt. Scott thinking what to say or do next.

"We did not know you were here. We had not explored yet"

Young think's a moment longer, then turns to the alien that has been talking to them, thinking possibly the one in charge of the group "Well as I said before, I am Colonel Young this is Dr. Rush, and this is Lt. Scott. Oh Lt. you can stand down."

"Yes sir."

"I am called Tta'nal I am an engineer, this is my assistant Pac'yu, and that over there is Vlakmen. As you have already noticed she is of another race. She is from a system many Light years from here. They call themselves Pownia."

"And we are" pointing to his companion and himself. "Are from the planet kemptla."

"Well we are from a planet called Earth, and we refer ourselves as Human" Rush stated.

"Are you from that galaxy that I was talking about?"

"Oh no, no, we only were passing through it, and had the same trouble as your research vessel had."

Young jumps in. "We can talk about this some other time. Right now Dr. Rush needs to get to that console to check the systems."

"Yes of course." He steps away from the console. "Where did you come from any way?"

"As you have already noticed, Destiny uses faster than light drive or FTL for short and it took 3 of our years to get here from where we left at the other galaxy."

"Rush we don't know them or what their intentions are." Young told him with his voice low.

"Well Colonel, my guess is since they tracked destiny and boarded her they have hyperdrive technology. That would make them more advanced then what Destiny is."

"I see. Just keep in mind what you say."

"Ok then, now that's out of the way, let us see where we are shall we."

Rush sits at the navigation console staring at a stream of data slowly moving across the screen.

"So, Rush do you know where we are yet."

"The information is just coming in now. Hum."

"What."

"Well. We have been here for just over 1 month and 11 days, and it looks like we've been through three star systems refueling."

"And we are just now waking up?"

"I imagine destiny felt it was not time yet. And that's the good news."

"What's the bad?"

"We drifted for about four months before Destiny came to the first star in this galaxy."

"I thought you said…."

"I said it will be close. We were short on power then. Something must have drained the power slowly from the FTL drive. I'll have to try to find what that was."

"What's our status than."

"Other than all the damaged systems not yet repaired, not so bad, power supply is at 60%, weapons 10%, but we knew that. Shields are at 72%, and holding."

"I'm going to check everyone else. See what you can do about those weapons."

"May I remind you that we did everything we could before we entered FTL, and left the previous Galaxy already."

"I know I just liked saying it, just like old times," He leans forward so only Rush could hear him. "I need to report to command that we are here and well. Keep me posted."

"I will, just like old times." Rush says sarcastically.

"You three, please come with me, let's leave him to it shall we. Scott with us please."

"Yes sir. Where we going sir."

"To check on TJ, and the others."

Tta'nal stepped forward as they walked down the corridor "Col. Young if I may speak freely."

"Yes of course"

"I find this ship fascinating, along with you. But the condition it's in, it seems to be old and has traveled for a long time and a very long way. I am a study of many cultures. And find your presents here not correlating with what I see around us."

"Oh, how so?"

"You seam ill equipped and out of place. I am sorry if I am asking inappropriate questions."

"No, not at all. I am aware that we are at your mercy. When we drop out of FTL next time your people will board destiny, and we no longer have any defenses to stop them. We were heavily damaged at the last galaxy."

"I see. Well you were here so it's your ship and after all we are looking for information any way."

"What sort of information."

"Well, as you now know we do have space ships with hyperdrive technology. After a few planet exploration's we found a ring of metal with strange symbols on them. No known race show's any indication of possessing the technology, or any information in ruins near the rings on how they got there. They are spread out though out our galaxy but in a specific path like. We do not know who built them, why or how long ago. This ships interior seems similar to them in some way."

Young stops and turns to Tta'nal. Looks at him, but pauses. "We call them Stargate's and that's what the ancients called them. They are a transportation system to go from one planet to another instantly by creating a wormhole between them."

"Transportation system you said. This is fantastic, but who are these ancients?"

"They are who built this ship along with a lot others like it that where sent out to other galaxies to seed them with Stargate's. The seed ships manufactured the Stargate's and placed them on planets to later be used by Destiny for resupplying much needed supplies, they were not crewed and all automated."

"And you know this How?"

"We came across two in the last galaxy. One was destroyed by the ships that you are familiar with all ready. Another was drifting in space. It's a long story."

"But who are these ancients?"

"From what I have heard they are our ancestors and they sent these ships out millions of years ago."

"How can that be? If they are your ancestors you should be way more advanced then you appear to be."

"Look this is really a long story, and is not my background. I'll have to have you meet with someone who can fill you in better than me."

"I find this hard to believe. All a little farfetched."

"Well I'll show you something that may change that."

"What would that be?"

"You will have to wait for now." They walk in to the stasis chamber's main corridor. "TJ I would like you to meet our new quests."

TJ was sitting next to Camile Wray, who looks like she just exited her chamber. TJ stands and turned. She was not scared but was taken back a little by the three aliens that just entered the room.

"Don't be alarmed Lt. They are not here to hurt us. They didn't even know we were here."

"Yes sir."

"This is Tta'nal, Pac'yu, and Vlakmen."

"Hello" TJ extended her hand out to Tta'nal. He hesitated but extended his hand out to hers.

"Thank you."

TJ looks at Young. "I have no idea what he said, but how did you know their names."

Young points behind his ear. "They gave us these, I'll explain later." Colonel Young watched with some embracement. "It seems that TJ here is the only one that has any manors I apologize."

"Not needed Colonel, we failed in our customary greeting also, and we had gun's pointed at each other." he placed his fingers to his forehead palm to himself, and then out in a down then upward wave like motion. Ending with his palm facing away from him.

TJ repeats it.

"Thank you, this must be the female of your species I presume."

"Yes she is."

"Is something wrong with this one?"

"TJ what's the matter with Camile."

"She's disoriented, not handling waking up from stasis, I'm guessing though. Her vitals' are stable."

"Why did you release her?"

"I didn't the ship did."

"Can you check to see if it will be waking any others? Right now is not a good time."

"Sir, Greer may be of some help right now, and maybe some others to help Rush." Scott said.

Young thinks of who he needs awake right now. "TJ can you wake up Greer and a couple of others from that group, and 2 other's to help Rush."

"I see, yes sir I understand."

"Follow me." Young addressed Tta'nal.

"Where to"

"What I was going to show you. Its back this way."

Young takes them back to a corridor they had just passed moments ago. They come to the gate room access door. Lt. Scott stepped up to Young. "Sir, are you sure."

"Lt. If we don't, they will find it when they take over the ship."

"Again Col. We have no interest in taking this ship from you. We share all information freely. That is our culture and we stand by it."

"That's why I am trusting in you. And that I really don't have a choice." Young stated this with a smile.

Tta'nal smiled back at him. "Colonel Young I do believe we are going to get along very well."

"We will see."

Young activated the door and it slide open. A rush of stale air brushed by them and they stepped through into the huge room.

As Tta'nal entered the gate room he looked to his right and stopped and stared up at the Stargate, disbelief in his eyes.

His companion's say nothing but are in awe

"Colonel Young if what you say is true, and I am starting to believe you, this knowledge will shack up every culture's belief throughout the galaxy."

"Well, it shuck ours up pretty good." Lt. Scott stated as he moved passed them in to the gate room.

"So where are they, the builders I mean?"

"Well from what I understand they found a way to ascend to another plan of existence. No we don't know how they did it"

"This is so hard to take in."

"Tta'nal, we have a lot to do and arrange before we drop out of FTL. And much to discuss in our further relations when we greet your fleet. So if you do not mind we will escort you to the observation deck. There you can ponder over what little information I have given you."

"Yes of course. But if I may, we came here to study this ship. Not to just sit around in a room somewhere."

"You will be free to walk around all you want. But please understand as the rest of our crew wake up they will not know about you. And they have their own views and there may be some distrust. Some have had bad experiences with other species."

Col. Young press's the observation deck door switch.

"Here we are." Young allowed them to step through the door before he entered behind them.

"This is amazing." Pac'yu whispers as he enters the deck.

"It is beautiful. What a sight." Tta'nal walks up to the railing and looks out and down at Destiny, then around taking in the view of the ship traveling at light speed.

"Yes it is breath taking. I need to leave, so Lt. Scott will be here to keep you company, and keep you posted." Young tap's his radio. "And when we drop out of FTL I'll have him take you to the command center. I'm sure your people are not far behind."

"I must say this is the best holding cell I have been in." Vlakmen stated as she continues to look forward.

"You are not prisoners. I am more concerned about my people and the upheaval your presence will have on them."

"We will see."

"Yes, well I will be back." Young turn's to Scott. "I'll have TJ send Camile up to talk with them when she's able."

"Yes sir. That would be helpful."

Young leaves the deck closing the door behind him.

"Why is this Camile needing to talk to us? Is she some sort of interrogator?" Tta'nal said as he sits down facing Scott.

"She will want to get to know you so she can help the others deal with the situation."

"I see. I look forward to talking with her then."

Colonel Young stop's at the stasis camber. "TJ when Camile is up to it, fill her in and have her go to the observation deck and talk to our new friends when she's up to it."

"What about the others."

"Have Greer go with the others to where Rush is. I will go there now and fill Rush in. Then I need to report to SGC. I haven't told them that we are in contact with earth. Tell everyone I would like to keep it that way. I'll move the device to my courters for now."

"Yes sir. And I think it would be best to leave Chloe where she is for now given what's going on. What is going on sir?"

"They didn't know we were here. It was a little tense in the command center at first but we got through it."

"I figured something was up when you called for Scott. But I would not have guessed this."

"It gets better; they have a fleet tracking us. They don't seem hostile at this point. We are defenseless to stop them."

"How did they get aboard anyway?"

"They found the hole the other aliens made and attached some sort of pod to the ship. I need to go, but I'll keep you posted ok"

"Yes sir."

Young leaves the room just as Greer wakes up. He continues down the corridor to the control room.

"Rush, how's it going?" Young said as he enters the room.

"No change. I still have not found where the power drain is. I have picked up ships on long range sensors. It looks like they are jumping from system to system, waiting for use to appear."

"So they are tracking us. Any time frame when we will need to drop out of FTL?"

"Not yet. I could do this better from the bridge."

"Yes I know, but they have seen you, and I don't want to show our Whole hand all at once, such as it is. I have TJ waking a few people to help. They will be reporting to you, maybe you can send one there."

"Ok, but we can't hide it from them forever."

"I know, we'll take them there when the fleet finds us. But I want to keep the communication stones secret. I'll move them too my courters for now."

"I see, do you suspect they are not on the up and up?"

"Who knows, we are stuck between a rock and a hard place."

"Yes we are. We cannot fight. And we don't want to give up the ship."

"We need to keep our eyes open. Have Greer go with whoever you send to the bridge. I'm going to my quarters and contact SGC."

"Ok then, we have a plan."

"Such as it is, I'll keep in touch." Young leaves Rush to his work.

Chapter 03

Eli

Young enters his quarters, places the communication stone device on the table just inside the door. Sits down and turns on the device and places a stone on to it. Nothing happens. So he sits back and waits a few moments. He gets up goes to the sink leans forward with his hands on the sides of the sink and stairs at himself in the mirror. He thinks to himself 'I'm getting too old for this. Why was SGC not responding? I'll have to get someone to stay with it. We don't need to tell the aliens everything after all.' He runs his hand over his face stops at his mouth as he noticed two Kino's and a remote lying on his bed. He waked over and sat down on the bed. Each had a note on them. One stating, for your eyes only, another said, for everyone else. He picked up the first one. There was a note on the remote explaining in detail how to access each keno separately. He follows the instruction and starts the for your eyes only recording.

'Good morning Colonel. I hope you find this first. But any way. Well, don't be too disappointed in me for what I'm about to tell you.' There was a pause in the recording. I'm sorry, but I couldn't fix the last stasis's pod. That really scared me, I mean facing death when you know its coming and all that. I know that's why you couldn't let Rush stay awake, so I went to the observation deck to face my doom, and while there I remembered something I did without getting you're ok. If all goes as I calculated, you will drop out of FTL four months early and drift the rest of the way to the nearest star. Sorry, but I found a way to stay alive. Not the same way as everyone else but I'll make it. I know after our last conversation you didn't trust Rush to do what needed to be done. And I went and did what you were worried Rush would do. I would not have done it if I didn't think it wouldn't work. Again I'm sorry, but as you know I liked to document everything, so show the other keno to Rush and TJ, and they will know what to do. Well, hope to see you on the other side of space, in a galaxy far, far, far away but along time from now.'

Col. Young's voice is heard over the radio. "Rush, TJ meet me in the infirmary."

Rush picks up his radio. "Colonel I'm very busy here, can it wait."

"No this is important, so everyone drop what you're doing please. Lt. Scott please bring along our quest also." He thought a second. "Greer you and your group stay put."

"Copy that." Greer responded.

"Why are we looking at a keno?" Lt. Scott asked

"It is a Keno feed of Eli and one of the Erseanie, I think it's the first one we found on the seed ship. They are apparently moving one of these pods into one of Destinies cargo holds."

"Yes I remember now. Eli told me about this." After Rush said this, the recording switched to Eli walking on to the bridge, looking back at the Keno like he always did when he was making his documentary.

"Wait what is that room?" Tta'nal asked as he was looking at the Keno feed with puzzlement.

Rush pauses the recording and looks up at Colonel Young who was looking back at him. "It's your call Colonel." said Rush.

Young looked at Tta'nal, "It's the bridge of the Destiny."

Rush interrupts. "We had to close off most of the accessible parts of the ship to save power and life support, that's why you haven't seen it yet." Rush continues the recording.

"I asked them. They said yes".

Rush looked up at Eli "That's excellent, now all you need to do is get it over here without the Colonel finding out", and looked back at his monitor.

"Already did. And one of them even helped."

"Well, you will have to study it on your own time right now we have a lot more important things to do."

"I know that. Just thought it would be nice to study it and their culture. Colonel Telford said it helped him understand them."

"It's your project not mine. Now can you look over these calculations for me, or do you not have the time."

"I never said I was going to start on it right now. So yes I can look at them."

The feed switch's to another recording but of a later date.

'I couldn't fix the last stasis's pod. That really scared me, I mean facing death when you know its coming and all that. I went to the observation deck to face my doom, and while there I remembered something I did without getting you're okay. If all goes as I calculated, you will drop out of FTL four months early and drift the rest of the way to the nearest star. Sorry but I found a way to stay alive. Not the same way as everyone else but I'll make it.

From the information I got from the Erseanie, and what I have studied from their pods, I was able to get it up and running. I moved it to the infirmary, so if needed, everything TJ needs is close by. Also while setting the power transfer's Destiny's sensors detected a group of the drones in deep space drifting in the direction of our destination. No command ship though, thank god. But I set up an information file that destiny will save any additional information gathered during the trip with its passive sensors. The file is called, here we go again. There are instructions on the table showing what to do to access the pod safely. That's all for now hope to see you on the other side.'

"Eli you clever boy. Months adrift will be worth it if this worked".

"Who is this Eli?" Tta'nal asked.

"He is a young man that volunteered to stay behind to set the systems for the trip. And with the last stasis chamber not working, he would die."

"He did this willingly?"

"Yes, but he found a way to make it here alive hopefully."

"I look forward to meeting him. We honor those who make such sacrifices like that."

"So do we, so do we."

Rush looks up from the note on the table. "Looks strait forward to me. Looks like he integrated the power coupling to this wall monitor to minimize the power usage. Now we know where the slow power drain came from. Is everyone ready to do this? TJ are you ready, we don't know what to expect."

"Yes I'm ready."

Flashing images faded to darkness. 'It's so warm, and so bright. Owe the light hurts, why is it so noisy.' Eli thought to himself, no longer asleep but still unconscious.

"Eli, common Eli, wake up".

"He's not responding TJ." Scott said in a matter a fact tone in his voice.

"Is he breathing?" Rush asked.

"He has a slow heart rate, breathing is slow. He's stable otherwise. He look's older with the hair on his face, and he needs a haircut. Was the pod not working?"

"Unlike the stasis pods, this pod slows the body functions and supplies, and filters all that is needed. It is remarkable that he got it to work on human physiology let alone to work for three years. I must admit, I would…" Rush stopped talking, for at that moment time slows slightly then speeds up, followed by the feeling of your body surging forward like a roller coaster coming to a stop. Destiny just dropped out of FTL. Colonel Young looks up at Tta'nal, and noticed he was holding onto Vlakmen, who looked like he was about to fall over.

"TJ you may have another patient here, so let's get Eli stable."

"Yes sir." TJ pulls out a small test tube from her med case. "This is somewhat like an ammonia capsule." She takes a small capsule. From the table next to the pod," She removes the cap from the tube and runs it past Eli's nose a few times.

Eli set's up in a jolt and waves his hand back and forth. "Everyone stop talking, you're all too loud."

"Eli calm down. You're okay. It's TJ."

"TJ? Owe my head. Why does my body ache so much."

"Well three years in an alien hibernation pod may have something to do with that." Young says.

Rush stands next to Eli "Eli you have no idea how glad I am to see you right now, but your calculations where off a bit."

Colonel Young moves over to Tta'nal. "Is Vlakmen going to be ok?"

"Yes, he is a little disoriented by the transition from FTL, but he will be alright in a moment."

"Good, we need to discuss some things before your fleet arrives. So let's leave Eli in TJ's care and go somewhere else to talk."

"Yes. Yes we have much to talk about."

"Lt. Scott, with us please."

Scott looks at Eli then TJ.

"That wasn't a request Lt."

"Go, he's going to be fine."

He looks back at Eli and smiles. "Good to have you here Eli." Scott turn's and runs to catch up to the group.

"Ah what's going on, and who where they, what are they."

"I only know they were here when we woke up."

"I am afraid to ask, but how long have we been here? The new galaxy I mean."

"Just over 4 months. We drifted some first, but we're here. Nice job getting here also."

"That must be what Rush meant about my calculations being off, I under estimated. Was the Colonel mad when he found out Destiny drifted?"

"No, not at all. He was more relieved than anyone else to see you."

Eli reaches up to scratch his face, and leans forward in a panic. "What the heck, what's all over my face, What did that pod do to me?"

TJ hand's him the mirror that she went to get. Knowing this would happen. "Calm down Eli it's just 3 years' worth of facial hair, We'll get it cut when we get the time. I am surprised that there is not more, after all tree years is along time."

Chapter 04

They found us

Rush presses the blast door button and the doors slide down, then he pressed to actual door button, it opens, and he comes face to face with MSgt. Greer, with Mr. Brody at the long range scanner station.

"Stand down Sgt." Young walk's onto the bridge.

"Yes sir."

Rush followed Colonel Young in and went around the walkway to where Brody was sitting. "Anything yet Mr. Brody."

"Yes, Destiny picked up a ship just before you came in. It's on an intercept course. Wait two more just arrived."

A beeping was heard at the communication panel. Rush walks over and sits down, and looks at the screen and pushes a few buttons. "They are hailing you Mr. Tta'nal."

"I'll just come right out and say it." Colonel Young said. "This ship is our only way home, and we are not willing to give it up without a fight. As you know due to the extensive damage it has sustained. I know you have us at a disadvantage, but I'm sure we can work this out peacefully to both our satisfaction, and benefit."

"As I _have said before, and I say again. You are here, it's your ship. We have no intention to take it from you."_

" _Mr. Tta'nal, I must tell you that just the last two Galaxies we have been through wanted nothing but to take this ship. Hell the last one just wanted to destroy Destiny. So forgive me for our mistrust."_

" _Let me contact fleet command and have a delegation brought aboard to discuss an opening of peaceful relations between our people. You are the first from outside our galaxy that we have had any contact with."_

Young sits down in the command chair. "Rush go ahead and open a channel for him."

Rush pushes and turns a few knobs. "Have a seat in that chair Dr. Tta'nal. Just press this button to open the channel."

"Thank you Dr. Rush." Tta'nal sits down and opens the channel. "Research vessel Sirenea this is Dr. Tta'nal aboard the alien ship. We are well, and have made contact with the crew of the ship they call Destiny. I am requesting that you notify command, and have them arrange a first contact delegation to come aboard to discuss peaceful relations with our new friends from outside our galaxy."

"Dr. Tta'nal this is commander Farina, captain of the Sirenea. Am I to understand that you have come in contact with an alien life form?"

"Yes captain, we have. And I know the protocol, I helped write them when they were due for revision. Just relay the message please."

"Yes Doctor. do you need anything else brought aboard?"

Tta'nal turned and looked at Rush. "Do you need anything at this time?"

"Well the CO2 scrubbers may need refreshed, if they have any spare we could use for now, or have your engineer contact me on the specs for our scrubbers, and food supplies would be helpful. Plant or meat we can handle either"

"Yes captain, some food supplies, they eat what we eat it seems, and any spare CO2 scrubbers you may have."

"Copy that, ah Destiny. We will contact you when we have everything ready for transfer."

"Copy that Sirenea." He ends the transmission. "Well now what."

Young stands up. "While we wait, Destiny needs to replenish its fuel anyway. And we'll just not go to FTL until we know more. How about a tour, it will be short, due to we do not have access to most of the ship because of the damage."

"There may be another way to contact your people." Everyone turns to Rush. "The Stargates, have them meet us at one of these several gates," Rush brings up the local star map HUD above the station, of systems with gates on them. "And they can come aboard via stargate."

Tta'nal thinks a moment. "That may work with the relations, they may view it as a goodwill jester on your part. Vlakmen are you familiar with these star systems to know what one would be suitable."

Vlakmen steps up to the display studies it. "What information is under each star, I cannot read it?"

Rush reaches forward and presses a button and moves a slid switch up, and the first star zooms in and displays all the info that Destiny has uploaded from the gate network.

"Well it gives us the makeup of the star, the status of the world the gate is on, and the frequency of the gate usage. This one shows that the world is dry and cold very low in Oxygen, 8%, high in Helium. No gate activity in several thousand of our years." Rush works the controls again. "Now this one is a possibility. A tempered climate, plenty of vegetation Oxygen rich 26%."

Vlakmen stares a minute as if in thought. "Impressive, Destiny retrieves all this from the gate itself? What about the life forms on the planet?"

"No afraid not some things need to be explored the old fashion way.'"

"Wait I may know this system. There are five planet bodies correct?" Pac'yu said.

Rush looks at the system telemetry. "Yes five, you know this system."

"Yes, I believe so. Go back out." The view zooms back out. "There, you see that Nebula. That is the Little Miss Nebula and those stars lay between it and Big Miss Nebula, right here on the edge of the screen you can just see the outer limit of the cloud." Rush zooms out a little more. "There, see I was right. That will make the planet Brea vent' Lore, it's an agricultural planet, they grow crops and raise live stock for the interplanetary market."

"What do they use for trade?" Rush asked.

"I think in goods or metals, maybe gems, I do not really know, it has been a long time since I have been there."

Colonel Young sat in the center command chair. "Well that does us no good when we have nether. We need to find an uninhabited planet that we can gather food supplies from."

Tta'nal turns to Col. Young. "Not necessarily, that's what the delegation will determine. So let me contact commander Farina with an update. I can make arrangements to get them to Brea vent' Lore."

"Go ahead patch him through. Until then we need to deal with the now. Rush what is our oxygen status, can we wake up a few others."

"We can handle a few more. Life support was off during the last three years. We don't really need everyone awake just yet, just those that we need for now."

"Ok, Camile compile a list, and I'll go over it with TJ."

"Fine, but I have some other things to go over with you in your office, soon."

"Yes, but first we need to assign some temporary quarters for our guests. Scott why don't you deal with that while Camile and I talk."

"Yes sir."

"Mr. Brody let me know when the Sirenea makes contact."

"Will do."

"Let's do this we don't know how much time we have. After you." Young held out his hand towards the door to allow Camile to exit first. Camile walks past him and heads for his office. Followed by Lt. Scott and his charges, but he turns and leads them towards the crew quarters.

Camile walks into Young's office and turns around and faces him, waits for him to close the door, then opens up on him. "What the hell is going on, and why are you acting like we all have been friends for a long time. Also how are you even understanding them at all? I know TJ mentioned something about a device attached to you that allows this, but you don't know what it will do in the long term. What were you thinking Everett? You could be compromised already."

Young walks to his desk and sits down in the chair. "First of all Camile thank you for not confronting me in front of them. Second, we didn't have much of a choice with weapons pointed at each other. We needed to resolve the issue then not later, because there would not have been later, also we have no way to stop them anyway. I wanted to keep control of the situation as long as possible, after all this ship is our only way to get home, we need to keep control of destiny. The device is a big help and you may want to get one when they become available. I have assigned you in the interdictions with the rest of our people to ease any worries."

"Gee thanks. What about command? Do they know what's going on?"

"Yes I've tried. There is no answer and that has me worried, with the Lucian Alliance working on attacking earth 3 years ago. We need to get someone on the stones 24/7."

"Yes, well we need to be careful. I'll follow your lead and voice my concerns in private, and I agree something maybe wrong back home. I'll work on the stone assignments, and..."

"I moved the stones to my quarters to keep them in a private location for now. I don't want them to know how we are communicating with SGC just yet."

"That may well be wise, but we may not keep it quiet forever."

"Yes I know but for now I believe it's the best action for now, so we go with it. If that's all, I would like to get back to the bridge."

"Fine, I'll make the list and have you look over it before I give it to TJ. Now what happen with Eli, why wasn't he using the ancient hibernation pod like the rest of us?"

"Right before Eli, Rush, and I were due to go in, the last pod malfunctioned, and they couldn't get it back online. That meant someone was needed to stay behind to try to fix it. Rush volunteered, but I didn't trust him to do the right thing when the time came if it was unrepairable. So I was going to do it and Eli said no he'll do it. After a lot of arguing and discussion Eli was the logical choice."

"But he's just a boy."

"The last time I looked he is over 18 years old, so that makes him a man."

"Oh, yes your right I suppose, sorry."

"It's ok I started out looking at him as a boy, but the more I got to know him the more I figured he just needed some direction to motivate him."

"So that's why you push him so much."

"Yes, and I also need someone to double check Rush's work. I know you and him communicate to keep me in check, that doesn't bother me, so please do not get Eli involved in the politics he doesn't need the distraction."

Camile looked and glared at young. "Fine, but remember we need to work together and communicate to each other on what's going on. Again we need to be careful with these people."

Col. Young turns and starts for the exit. "I am well aware of that." He leaves the room and heads back to the bridge.

Camile follows but turns and heads the other direction to her own office. The short walk seamed eerie. She knew this to be ridiculous, but none the less. Even with the rest of the crew in the pods it still was so quiet. She pushed the door access panel, and turned when she felt a wisp of air flow past the back of her neck. Nothing there, but there was a flash of light in the corner of her eye as she turned, but the light down the hall was flickering so that was nothing also. The door opens and she enters her office, and sits down at the desk, sighs then takes her computer pad that she had set on the charging station earlier, and starts to think on who they should wake up.

Chapter 6

Let's go there

Colonel Young sit's in the command chair in the center of the bridge deep in thought, but still watching everything going on around him. "Rush, who do we have that can go to Brea vent' Lore to look into updating our seeds for growing our own food?"

"Dale Volker I imagine would be the man for the job."

"I'll have Camile Wray go along to help in whatever we can negotiate for. And Scott for security, also _Pac'yu sense he has spent some time there._ "

"Sounds good. When do they leave?"

"After we hear back from their people. Well I'm tired of sitting here, time to go check on TJ, and see how those she has waken up are doing." He gets up and starts to leave the bridge when the door slide open, and Lt. Scott walks in with the three charges in tow.

"Sir the tour is over we found the quarters, and we came back here to wait for any word from the fleet out there."

"Very good Lieutenant. I was just going to check on TJ and the others." Young walk's past them then turns back and looks at Tta'nal. "You are welcome to come along or wait here."

"I would like to stay here and wait for word from the Sirenea. If you don't mind?" Tta'nal said.

Vlakmen stepped forward. "I would also like to stay."

"And how about you?" Young looks at Pac'yu.

"There is nothing better to do right now, so if I may come with you."

"You may, this way please." Young walks through the exit. "Scott, Greer you stay here."

"Yes sir." Greer said with a half-smile, half sneer.

Pac'yu turns to Tta'nal. "Hum, well Tta'nal, I think I made the better choice here."

"You know I think you did to."

Vlakmen watches this exchange with interest. 'I'll have to alert command about this race. And I still cannot see into their minds, or control their decision making. I will need to find out why first. Who knows this may be of use to me in the future if I withhold this information from command instead.'

She walks on to the bridge and sits down on the nearest chair, where she can observe everyone.

Young walks into the med bay, followed by Pac'yu. "So TJ how are they doing."

TJ Turns and walked over to Volker sitting in a chair resting his head on his hand. "How's the head ach?"

"He rubs his temple. "Better thank you."

"They are all good. Volker's had a bad head ach, but he's better."

"Good, Volker I don't have time to bring you up to speed, but this is Pac'yu. He and two others are from a race that found their way aboard Destiny just before we started to wake up. We are also waiting for their people to contact us on setting up some negotiations soon, but we have an agriculture planet I would like to send a team too, and look into acquiring new seeds to grow for food. I would like you to lead the team with Lt. Scott, Camile, and Pac'yu here."

"What? Wait, you never told me this before."

"I need someone who knows the locals, and you said you have spent time there."

"Well yes, but a long time ago."

"I can't make you, but I would like you to go."

Pac'yu thinks a bit. "Ok I'll go if it's ok with Tta'nal."

Volker looks up sharply. "Wait, you understand him? And what's that behind your ear."

"Long story, buts that's how I know what he's saying." Young told him. "TJ can you wake Lt. James, I would like her to go also."

"Yes sir right away."

"I see, well fine when do we go."

"I'll let you know."

"Sir?" Scott's voice came over the radio.

"Go ahead Lieutenant."

"We are receiving an incoming signal from the fleet sir."

"Copy, on our way." Young walk's up to Volker. "If you're up to it, you might as well come with us now."

"I'm good, so ya I'll come along. Can I get one of those to?" He pointed to the VMTD behind Young's ear.

"Maybe, it's their equipment, so I have no control over them let's go."

"If he means the VMTD, then yes we will provide your crew with them they are cheap to make and we have plenty aboard our ship."

"Fine, thank you."

"What did he say?"

"He said everyone will be getting one." As he started to walk out.

Volker got up and quickly caught up to them. "When?"

The bridge door's slide open and Col. Young walks on to the bridge, and heard Tta'nal talking to commander Farina at the communication alcove.

"Copy Sirenea we will be there."

"That sounded promising, mind updating me." Young sits down in the center command chair and leans forward with his arm on his knees.

"A delegation of six council members will meet us at Brea vent' Lore in 18 of your hours, and I have been given the temporary diplomatic position to grant any food and supply needs of Destiny until more permanent negotiations have been finalized."

"That's good to hear, thank you. How did you know about our hours?"

Rush turns in his chair at the station he was currently sitting. "We have been talking about their GD time line and our method of time, and found that we were off by 43.56 minutes. So I have Destiny running a time adjustment and running a new clock on all consoles for reference when needed."

"Very good. Dr. Tta'nal I would like to send a team to Brea vent' Lore to start assessing what we may use. I'll be sending Lt Scott and Camile Wray, who is a civilian and leading negotiator, and will be leading any negotiations. I have asked Pac'yu to go along if that is alright with you?"

"Yes of course he would be a wise choice, after all he is the only one of us that has been there. I to would like to attend the negotiations also when the time comes."

Lt. Scott had been slowly working his way to Col. Young's side, and finally stood next to him. Turned his back to everyone else, and leaned in so not to be heard. "Are you sure Colonel? I mean if we need a pilot for the shuttle."

"No Lieutenant, I think we are good. How long will it take to get there after Destiny refuels?"

"Not long, but why not just gate there." Rush said.

"The team will, but I would like Destiny in orbit before the negotiations start. Tta'nal can you notify Commander Farina that we will be heading to the star for refueling? Then on to Brea vent' Lore."

"Yes Colonel, I can do that now."

"While he is doing that, Mr. Volker please assemble what you will need and meet your team at the gate."

Volker gets up and starts for the bridge exit. "Yes sir."

"Lt. Scott please look after them, and why don't you take Lt. James with you."

"Yes sir."

"And what about you?" He turned to Vlakmen. "Are you going along or staying here?"

"I have been thinking, I find this ship fascinating, besides it being out of date. With your permission I would like to stay here, to asses possible updates in some of your systems."

"Very well then, let's get going." Young turns to Rush. "Dr. Rush would you be so kind and plot a course to the star as soon as Dr. Tta'nal fill's the Sirenea in on our intentions. I'll see the team off."

"Certainly Colonel, but I do need to talk to you soon, alone if I could."

"Ok, when we are on our way we'll meet in my quarters."

Young stands up and follows the team off the bridge. "I'll go find Camile, and bring her to the gate room."

Young starts off down the hall towards the infirmary. When he walks into the room he went and found TJ. "So how is Eli doing, is he ready to go?"

"Go where?"

"I need him in the gate room to man the console so I can send a team through the gate, that's all."

"That's fine as long as he's not going, I would like to watch him for a while. Some of his electrolytes are off slightly."

"Anything to be concerned about?"

"Not really, I just want to be sure."

"Okay then, no away missions for him until you give the all clear."

"Thank you. I'll send him right up after he finishes trimming his beard."

Eli Wallace walk's into the Gate room, goes up the curved stair case leading to the upper walkway, and stands in front of the gate control console. Lt. Scott was standing next to it.

"Mr. Brody has already transferred the address so we are all set when Camile gets here."

"Wish I was going, I could use some fresh air."

"In time Eli, right now your needed here, there is a lot going on so watch yourself."

"What, Is there something going on that I need to know?"

"Look around, everything is happing fast, and we don't know them. I'm just saying keep your eyes and ears open, and if you have any concerns talk to the Colonel."

The door to the right below them slide's open and Camile Wray walks in. "Okay I'm here, is everything ready?"

Scott pat's Eli on the back. "Dial the gate Eli."

"Good luck."

The Stargate began lighting up and turning. Tta'nal and Pac'yu stared in awe as the wormhole rushed forward and settled back to the event horizon.

"Thanks, we'll need it." Scott goes down the stairs and joins the rest of the away party. "So if everyone is ready lets go. Pac'yu you should probably go first, and we'll follow." Scott waves his hand towards the wormhole for Pac'yu to lead. He moves up to the Stargate, he seems hesitant but steps through. Followed by the others, then the wormhole collapses, and Eli is left alone in the gate room. Left to remember three years ago when he was the only one awake on the ship. He shivered but reached for the com button.

"Colonel, their gone."

"Thank your Eli."

A moment later Destiny jumped to FTL.

Chapter 06

Brea vent' Lore

"I got you, now you get me." A child ran off weaving through carts of fruits and vegetables, followed by another child. They ran by a seed loader and on by a large metal ring, then down the road leading from it. As they ran down the road some of the symbol's lit up and made an electronic buzzing sound, then the ring began to turn. Everyone in the area turned and looked up in a quiet awe.

"Well, that's new. Never knew it could do that." Said a local merchant. As he spoke the turning ring stopped and a wave of what looked like water rushed forward with a loud boom. Everyone ducked in response, ether by shock or fear. The wave pulled backward through the ring's center then forward again to settle back in the center of the ring, leaving what looked like a vertical pool of water. No one moved, but all gasped as a lone Kemptla walk out of the pool of water followed by four other beings that have not been seen before, then the pool vanished leaving the group standing on the platform holding the ring upright. They looked ominous standing there with the ring surrounding them. One of the locals broke the trance and walked up to them. "Pac'yu is that you?"

"Waleb old friend, the elements of time have not taking you yet?" Pac'yu said as he walked down the ramp to meet his friend half way. Greeted him in the standard way and then laughed and then rapped their arms around each other and patted each other's backs like brothers.

"It is good to see you old friend, but what is this that has happen here? When did the ring of time start doing that? Whatever that was. And I see you have found some new friends."

"Yes I have much to tell you, but for now you must forgive me. We are here to meet a delegation that will be arriving soon to discuss helping these good people from a faraway galaxy."

"I see, well you do have much to tell, but you have come at a bad time. All is about to be destroyed."

"What do you mean?"

"That is what I am talking about." He pointed at the sky.

"What is that?" he said looking into the sky.

Dale Volker stepped forward "That's an asteroid, and a very big one. What is its trajectory?"

"It will hit our world by midmorning." He understood Volker due to the VMTD behind his ear lobe.

Back on Destiny Colonel Young walks into his quarters followed by Dr. Rush. "So what do we need to talk about?"

"I just wish to voice my thoughts about this meeting that they are going to..."

"Look Rush I know this is happening fast, and you know everything that I do. I had the same conversation with Camile. We have no choice, and we need to do whatever we can, but we need to keep control of Destiny. They could take her away from us at anytime that they choose to, even if Tta'nal said that's not going to happen. So we need to keep a watchful eye on everything and keep up the communication so we don't get blindsided."

"Yes I agree, but why Camile or Volker. I understand Scott and James, but…"

"Who else Rush, please tell me who on this ship is more qualified?"

Rush thinks a moment then shrugs his shoulders and sighs. "No one, of course your right. Well I hope this ends well."

"So do I. Anything else?"

"No. no that's it, I need to get back to the bridge."

"Ok, I'm going to stay and try the stones awhile. I'll be along in a bit."

"Ok see you there then."

"See you there." Young sits down and takes a stone and places it on the communication device, and leans back then takes the note in his hand that he had written out earlier. It read 'NO MATER WHAT, DO NOT LEAVE THIS ROOM!' He looks at the device and waits.

Col. Everett Young walks onto the bridge of the Destiny deep in thought. 'I never wanted this command, and I shouldn't even be here, none of us should be here. Well here we are at a turning point, a civilization in another galaxy several billion light years from earth, and know way home. Some may choose to stay if permitted to others not so much, if we are able to hold on to the ship.' He walks up to the command chair and stands next to it. Rush was already sitting there and made no motion to get up.

"Mr. Brody what is our status?"

"About to drop out of FTL now."

As if on cue Destiny enters normal space into an unknown star system.

"Receiving telemetry from the long range scanners now." Eli said standing at a group of monitors to the left of Col. Young. "Looks like several planets and a few moon sized bodies further out. There is an asteroid belt, but it seems like there is very few compared to earths. Wait… there, that must be Brea vent' Lore, there is a lot of activity in orbit of the fourth planet. It has 2 moons, the smaller one is further out."

Rush gets up and walks to the communication station. "There is a lot of comm traffic also."

"Wow, the planet isn't tilted on its axes like earths, so its weather pattern must be stable. It looks like a very lush planet from the telemetry I'm seeing here. I really wish I could have gone with the…"

Young turns and looks at Eli in concern. "What do you see Eli?"

"Hold on I'm doing the calculations."

Rush gets up and walks over and stands next to Eli. "What is it Eli?"

"If I'm right, and really hope I'm not. I may be glad I had to stay."

"Eli, What is it?"

"Ah… ok here, yes I was right. What I first thought was a smaller moon is actually a large asteroid, and it's on a collision course with the planet. The planet that the team went to."

"What? How soon?"

Vlakmen gets up now, very intent on what's going on. Knowing all too well if they lose this planet, a large food source of the interplanetary trade consortium, will affect the economy of every planet in the federation, eventually Pownia's food source.

"Ah… 16, 17 hours, I need to recalculate when I get more data like how fast it's going in ratio to the planets speed, then there's the makeup of the asteroid itself."

"Figure it out fast Eli. Rush can you go to the gate room and contact the team and get them back here please. Mr. Brody see if you can find a channel that will put us in contact with whatever kind of government they have. Miss. Vlakmen if I might ask, can you help Mr. Brody please?"

"Of course whatever I can do to help."

Colonel Young went over and stood by Eli and looked at the screen. "Colonel Young this is Rush."

"This is Young go ahead."

"I am unable to make a connection."

"Why is that?"

"My guess would be they are evacuating the planet and have the gate open and are redialing as soon as the wormhole time runs out."

"Yes you're probably right, Scott must have showed them the how to use of the gate. I would be doing the same thing. Imagine their surprise when the gate opened. Okay then come on back and we'll try to get clearance to land the shuttle near the gate." He lets go of his radio. "Any update's Eli?"

"Well yah… a lot actually. I've narrowed it down to 15 hours and 36 min, and it will be hitting just above the equator at this point." Eli pressed a button and a target appeared on the screen showing the planet. "2 hours after dawn in that area. Not a direct hit, but it's still going to make a mess of things."

"Like what exactly?" Young asked.

"Ah… well like tear a large hole in the surface, maybe throw the debris into space. It could even change the rotation of the planet, or tilt it some. Either way it will be felt everywhere, and change the planet for like… ever."

"And where is the Stargate?"

"Close, its south of the equator, and hour later, they will see it fly over and see the impact. Also feel the results."

"Okay thank you Eli." Young walks over to where Brody is sitting. "Well any word?"

"Landing is denied."

"What? Did they say why?"

"No small shuttles are being allowed to land due to low passenger capacity. Only transport ships large enough to help in the evacuation are being allowed at this time, but they will keep us posted if the orders change."

"There is a very lot of large ships coming and going from the surface." Eli said.

"So we sent them to their deaths." Rush said. Young turned and looked at him. He didn't even notice him return.

"Not necessarily, if they considered them as diplomats they may already be off the planet."

"Well let's hope so, is there any way to find out? Let me know if you find out anything. But in the meantime is there anything we can do about the asteroid?" Young looks around at each station. "Anything, anything at all?"

Rush looks up from the station next to Eli. "We are looking into it, after all it is a very big asteroid Colonel." He looks down at the data on Eli's station. "What is that distortion at the impact sight?"

Eli shack's his head. "I have no idea. I tried running a scan of the area but I'm getting nothing back. It's like its absorbing then signal."

Young sits down in the center command chair feeling helpless. 'Why did I send them so soon, I should have waited for more data on the planet before sending them. Please be off that planet.' Young sits quietly thinking to his self, letting the decision to send them eat at him. 'Right, like Scott would not leave when there were millions of civilians trying to get off planet.'

"What's this on the surface of the asteroid? Is that debris around that whole?" Eli points at the HUD in front of him hanging there in midair.

Rush pushes a few buttons and the view zooms in. "It looks like the remains of a structure, but I am more concerned about the mineral readings. I'm going to run a complete analysis to see the makeup of that asteroid."

"It looks like something exploded, and a large one at that." Eli said.

"The numbers are coming in now." Rush said while he was pushing buttons. "Just as I thought. It's Aquadreia."

"Aquadreia? What's that?" Eli said with a confused look.

Rush turned to Eli. "It's a highly unstable element with disasters' results when messed with. SGC tried and failed. Even Jonas Quinn's home planet tried, and they nearly had their planet blown to bits due to that's where most of the know source is located, and it would have happen if not due to SG1 and a Goa'uld spy."

"Who is Jonas Quinn?" Eli said.

"Really Eli, did you watch the videos at all?"

"Never mind about the tapes." Col Young broke in. "Do you think they were drilling or mining the asteroid, and hit the Aquadreia and sparked an explosion?"

"At first glance it would seem to be the case."

"Maybe the explosion forced the asteroid into a new orbit." Eli said.

"Yes that is possible, but then they would have known it was coming and evacuated earlier or done something about it."

"Look here, just 5 degrees and it would miss the planet. It would tear through the upper atmosphere, but they could have dealt with that. Maybe."

"I wonder…, Mr. Brody what is our shield strength right now." Rush asked.

"From the last refueling real well, 93% now. Why? What… what are you thinking Rush?" Brody gets up and walks over and stands next to Rush.

"Well, do you see this side of the asteroid?"

"Yah it's somewhat flat. So?"

"The asteroid is just 20% bigger in mass then Destiny is, sort of."

"Ah it looks bigger than that, probably 3 times bigger."

"Yes Eli, but look at the analysis of the asteroid, it's thinner in the center and pocketed throughout, so there is less mass."

"It looks like a gigantic peanut."

Everyone turns and looks at Eli.

"Come on, really. Am I the only one that see's these things?"

"Anyway, if we maneuvered Destiny here." Rush points to the forward part of the asteroid. "And nudge the forward portion of the asteroid 5 to 10 degrees away from the planet our shields should hold."

Eli busied his self on the other display next to them. "The numbers look good. It should work."

1st Lt. Matthew Scott stood at the base of the stairs outside the mayor's office. Well what we would consider the Mayor's office. Everyone was running around this way and that way. The dawn light just now bathing the main street below him with an orange glow but quickly shifting to lighter colors as the sun rises. It has been raining all night and just now stopped, like a switch was flipped. They said they control the weather, but this was complete control. There is total chaos all around him, but understandable due to, their planet was about to be destroyed. The evacuation has been going on nonstop all night since they now know about the Stargate, and we helped them to find a world to evacuate to. The local government were now just lower rank officials since the high up members of the planetary government have already left through the Stargate, and have made a lot of people angry, and feeling abandon. The actual indigenous race of this planet look like they evolved from some sort of lizard. Very friendly but nervous people.

Camile Wray was in talking with the current officials trying to get an open Stargate time to allow us to get back to Destiny, but so far it's useless. I couldn't stop Camile from trying. She wouldn't listen to me when I said the civilians should go first. I told her that she is making herself look no better than those officials that left. She stomped off and hasn't talked to me since. A child running past carrying a bundle of clothing brings Scott back to the here and now.

Pac'yu walks up the step's to where Scott was standing. "I believe she may be trying to smuggle her pet rotega through the gate. They will stop her at the gate, and take it from her. This is all too unfortunate." He waves his hand across the view in front of them. "Yes very unfortunate. The news cast reports the asteroid will be hitting in less than one prena, which is an hour to you."

"Thanks for the update. Any word from the council, and delegates?"

"No, not as of yet, and I am not too hopeful, they seem to be more concerned about the asteroid and getting off the planet"

"They are not the only ones."

Pac'yu hands Scott a set of viewing glasses. "Take a look, you can now see it with these just adjust it by turning the dial on the side there."

"Scott takes the glasses and adjusts the view and is awarded with a sight under normal conditions a thing of beauty. "Wow, these have fantastic zoom, and the focus is great."

"Yes, and you may keep them. They were a gift from my old friend who still lives here, so I pass them to you since I no longer need them."

"Thank you, these will be very useful." Scott uses them to look around at the country side in the distance, stops on a group of locals and one human, Dr. Dale Volker was on his way back to town after visiting the local farms in the area. A lot of good it will do when everything will be different in 35 min. We may be here, or not.

A large commotion from the building behind him. He turned around and saw Camile Wray and the town officials come out of the main door way.

"They seem excited about something." Scott said.

"Yes it would seem so." Pac'yu responded.

Camile run's up to Scott. "Lieutenant I am sorry that I have been rude to you, but something has been happening. There appears to be a large starship that has maneuvered under the asteroid."

Scott puts the glasses back to his eyes. Focused on an object underneath the asteroid. "It's Destiny." He hands the glasses to Camile.

"Oh my God, what are they doing?"

"My guess is they are trying to maneuver the asteroid away from its present course. I can't imagine why they would do this if they didn't think they could." He looks at Tta'nal. "Dr. Tta'nal Can you ask them if I could contact Destiny to see what's going on up there?"

Tta'nal turns to the interim mayor Ligeris Saisea. He talks to him in his language since they do not have a VMTD device, but Scott understands him fine. Tta'nal said there language base is stored in the memory core of the VMTD.

"Yes most defiantly." The interim Mayor said. "And he has been getting reports of this ship you call Destiny. It is doing a very dangerous thing, and we pray that they are successful, and also live to be honored for saving our planet."

An aid hands him some sort of portable communication device. "They are patching it through now. We had the signal channel already, they have been trying to contact you but no unauthorized communications have been allowed due to the evacuation."

"Thank you, I understand."

Aboard Destiny all hell was breaking loose. Young looks to his right as a console irrupts into a shower of sparks and smoke. "There goes another one. Rush you said we could do this, are you sure we should continue, or do we pull away." Young screams over the noise of alarms. "And will someone please turn those alarms off."

"We still can do this, the shields are holding, and down only 4%. It's just that some systems are not holding up to all the rewiring we have done." Eli screamed, but was not necessary since the alarms went off half way through his statement.

"Fine but if it looks like we can't do this, pull out and you need to just do it, no discussion."

"Then stop barking orders, and let us do what we know needs to be done." Rush yells.

"Colonel there is a transmission coming through." Brody said.

"Patch it through." Young screams. A fine time to call us.

"Destiny? Destiny do you… me? This is Lt. Scott."

"The connection seems to be faint and braking up."

Young pushes the comm button. "This is Young, we read you Lt., it's good to hear your voice, but right now is not a good time."

"Ye… …ir I understand, but we sure hope you know what you're doing. It's a fantast… from down here."

Another panel explodes behind him. "Scott I would really like to continue this talk but it's very hectic up here."

"We lost the signal sir."

"That's ok Mr. Brody at least we know their down there. Rush how much longer?"

"Not long now. Eli what is the percentage now?"

Eli looks at his screen. "4.67% and holding. It need's to be 5% to clear the planet completely."

"Yes Eli I know that, but we don't have any more upward thrust. This is all we got."

"If it's all we got, then that's all we can do. We need to pull out." Young said as he turned the command chair side to side facing everyone one by one. "But good try everyone."

"We need to hold here to the last moment, so the asteroid doesn't start descending more, and loosing what ground we made." Rush said.

"Very well to the last moment then pull out."

"Wait something's happening."

"What is Eli?"

"Two ships have pulled alongside us just forward, and on each side. They are helping us."

"They finely figured out what we're doing." Rush said.

"4.7…4.8. It's working. 4.9..5% were good. 5.2.. 5.4. It's working, very well.

Young turns to the alien female "Mss. Vlakmen please contact those other ships and let them know there help was much appreciated, and the target has been reached and we are pulling away. So they may want to do the same."

"Yes Colonel Young." She stops and turns back to face Young, and adds. "Yes sir. And thank you for making me part of this."

"No, thank you. You have been very helpful."

Rush stands up, and walks to the view port as the command deck finishes rising from the upper pylon. "Course laid in, and we are pulling away, and will establish a wide orbit to avoid all the traffic."

Vlakmen steps up next to him. "Very impressive view point, it is even better then the observation deck. I cannot even imagine what this ship is capable of if it were fully functional."

"Yes it is impressive." Rush said, but he thinks that they may be worried that we mean them harm. "But it is old after all, billions of years old, and needs a lot of repair. It was built along time ago by a people that no longer care for its purpose. That is..." Rush turns his head to look at her, and she looks back. "Was for deep space research, but if there was a need, they could have defended themselves."

"You mean the Ancients? Why did they abandon it?"

"They never where here. They ascended to another plane of existence hundreds of thousands of years after Destiny's launch."

Vlakmen looks at Rush confused, then around the bridge, and back out the window "But how would they have gotten here, from such a distance."

"By using specially designed Stargates. That allowed them to activate the address to get them aboard the destiny" Rush said.

"This is all so much to take in. It goes against all that we have learned and know about the Stargates as you call them, which sounds more appropriate then ring of time. It is amazing that we never figured out the true use of the Stargates. Our scientist will be ashamed that they did not discover this. I believe that after time it will be replaced by Stargate throughout the galaxy."

Brody interrupts. "Colonel, there is another signal from the planet. It sounds like Scott again."

"Patch it through Mr. Brody." Young said.

"Destiny this Scott, do you read me, over?"

"We read you Lieutenant, how are things going planet side?"

"A lot better now sir. There is a lot celebrating going on. That was some maneuver you did."

"Well it wouldn't have worked if not for the help from the other ships at the last moment. So please thank them also."

"Yes sir, I'll relay that to them. And ah… sir the delegates will be arriving with in the hour and want to meet with you as soon as possible."

"Okay, well when the gate is clear or clearance to land is authorized then I'll meet with them."

"Well sir they are giving immediate clearance to land. They must really want to meet you pretty bad."  
"Okay, let us get things settled up here and some of us will be down."

"Copy that, we will be standing by for your ETA."

"We'll let you know, Young out. Mss. Vlakmen it seems I am still in need of your services. Even though Mr. Tta'nal is already on the planet you have been here and have observed us a little longer and maybe help in persuading your people that we mean no harm, and are just passing through, and need a safe harbor to do some badly needed repairs"

"I believe you mean no harm and will do my best. I am again, gladly at your service Colonel." Vlakmen said.

Young gets up. "Okay then that's that. Rush let me know when we are in a stable orbit. Would you like to join us or stay here?"

"Well thanks for the offer but I'm needed here to do repairs." Rush said.

Eli steps away from the station he was at. "I'll come."

Young faces Eli. "Thank you Eli, but you are needed here to help Rush." He starts to walk out of the bridge. "I'll keep you posted on what's going on, so you can let TJ Know when she can start waking everyone else up. We'll be in the shuttle prepping it to leave on your say."

Rush turns his head to Young. I'll let you know when its okay to go."

"Shall we Mss. Vlakmen?" Young said as he heads down the corridor with Vlakman in tow.

Destiny's one and only shuttle comes to soft landing on a landing platform not too far from the gate. Colonel Young shuts the entire shuttle's systems down and look's out the front window and sees Lt. Scott, Lt James, Camile Wray, and Dale Volker, along with hundreds of others from many different races. "That's some welcoming committee."

"Yes well you did just save them, most of them more than likely never thought they would have seen today, and looking at a bright future."

As he was looking out at the crowed the view began the move. What's happening?"

"The platform is turning to bring the shuttle exit around to face them, there is a blast wall that came up behind us after we landed standard protocol on most planets they should be some on each side but I think they leave them down for the crowds. See there must be thousands out there."

Young looks at the assembled people. "Well we might as well face the music, let's go."

They get up and walk to the back hatch.

"Before you open the hatch, I want to thank you again for having me part of all this. It is very rare for someone in my position to be famous."

"We thank you for helping so willingly." Young reaches and presses the hatch release button. The hatch opens and they are first greeted by a rush of fresh air and a mild temperature, felt like about 80 with a smell of a resent rain fall. They step forward out of the shuttle and walk towards Lt. Scott's group. The crowd erupts in cheers and clapping. Scott walks forward and meets them half way, stops comes to attention and salutes Young.

"Colonel Young sir welcome to the planet Brea vent' Lore."

Young returns the salute. "Thank you Lieutenant Scott, this is some welcome. What's been happening since we last talked?"

"I'll let Camile fill you in."

Chapter 8

Show me the money

The city near the gate is mostly a modern looking city with some older looking structures on the southern part of the city. Nothing like the skyscrapers of earth, but very elegant well placed layout with the streets allowing for wind so that there is a slight breeze most of the time. In the center of the city surrounded by what look like apartments buildings sits a domed building made of what looks like white marble. The building is about fifty feet higher than the streets with stone stairs all around it with tall pillars encircling it, making it look like something out of the Roman times. Down on the street a vehicle stops at the main stairs, and a Brea, an Indigenous male with graying hair running down the sides of his head gets out and runs up the steps, and runs into the main entrance.

A large circular table sat in the middle of a large circular auditorium with chairs and desks running upward from the floor for 8 rows, at the top of the steps a stone railing going all around on the back of the last chair with a walk way behind it. The auditorium was full of the planetary representative's from various townships and many different races in the mix; the walkway was packed with local media and off world media groups. All the cameras where focused on the strange aliens that are now local heroes.

The Destiny crew where sitting on one side of the table and the representatives from the government of what they call a sort of a federation but translation came out as an understanding..

"So what I am being asked to understand is that some members of the review board would like us to approve the repairs, and absorb the cost of this endeavor, of an alien space ship from an unknown distant galaxy so they can continue on in their journey through ours and on to other galaxy's."

The alien from the vehicle steps down from the last step and walks up to the interim Mayor and hands him a data pad.

A pale blue skinned alien in the center pounded a gavel on the table. "Representative Cilauvea this is very irregular, what is so dire to have interrupted these proceeding's?"

Mayor Cilauvea does not answer, but held his hand up while he read the information on the data pad.

"Mayor Cilauvea." The alien with the gavel said with an impatient voice. "Will you please explain yourself?"

Cilauvea placed the pad on the table and stands up. "I apologize to every Representative, and all in this honored hall. I was just handed a report that while we are debating in these chambers, the people of Brea vent' Lore have just concluded an emergence election. An election that has made me the new Chancellor of Brea vent' Lore." Clapping and cheers erupt from the crowd. Cilauvea raised his hand. "Please… please everyone thank you." He does a down word motion with his hands, and the hall slowly becomes quit again. "I also have been give full authority for any decision to be made on behalf of Brea vent' Lore during these proceeding's."

"Congratulations Chancellor Cilauvea in your new appointment, now may we proceed?"

"Yes…yes of course." He sits down

"Now where were we?"

Chancellor Cilauvea raised his hand. "Chancellor Cilauvea has the floor." Said the alien with the gavel.

"Thank you Representative Tearion. I think all the Representatives here know what the crew of Destiny means to all the peoples of Brea vent' Lore. If it was not for them we would not be here now in this great hall discussing what to do. I feel deep in my heart that all of Brea vent' Lore will help in any way we can. We will help in the financing in any repairs, and will provide any food supplies needed." He looks around the table at the entire Representative's, and stops and looks right at Colonel Young. "No matter what is decided here. We owe them our lives." He sits down again.

A light brown faced alien with a black protruding snout and what looked like a dark brown bone like plate on his/her forehead raised a 3 fingered and 2 thumb hand. "The Representatives here know my home world no longer has much of an agricultural industry, and depend on off world trade to feed our population. Our home system is heavy into mining, and I will have to confer with my higher up, but I see no reason why they would not agree to supply materials for repairs."

"We can help you with repairs". A murmur builds in the hall and everyone is now looking at the Representative siting to the right of the Destiny crew. Tension seamed to build as the murmur stopped and apprehensive hush fills the hall. The Pownia Representative leans forward on his elbows. Young wonders what happen to Vlakmen.

"And why would the Pownia have reason to help? Your economy is strong and do not need imports for food." Representative Tearion said with a little mistrust in his voice.

"Well no we don't, but after talking with Dr. Tta'nal, the ship is millions of years old, and from an engineer's point I am intrigued by seeing this Destiny and the design to have allowed it to last so long. We have a repair dock available and a Luanestia hive and its Queen ready for a new project. It will be little cost to us and much to gain in the knowledge of the ring of time, sorry Stargate and the builders and of a race from outside our own galaxy."

"Okay then. My government will set up an account for any funds that any world that wishes to donate to the repair, and, or refit of the Destiny." Said Representative Tearion. "Is there any questions?"

"Yes I have one." Colonel Young stands up. "And I believe it to be a very important one. We have no way to compensate you for all the repairs that Destiny requires".

"Information exchange will do." The Pownia Representative said. "Like the history of your galaxy, more to the point, information about the ancients as you call them. Also there are the facts that you saved this planet and its inhabitants. In so doing saved the consortium from a food crisis, which would have lasted decades and cost billions alone, and the death and famine from the hunger." He looks at Representative Tearion. "And that is the major concerns to my government."

Tearion looks back. "I apologize for any misspoken statement, and thank you. Well I believe we are all done here. Thank you all for dropping what you were doing and joining us here." Everyone gets up and starts to file out.

The Pownia Representative walk's up to Colonel Young. "My name is Meaca Silaviea Colonel Young, I am wondering if I may travel with you to the ship yards so I may do some preliminary inspections before we get there, to better assess what Destiny will need first off."

"Yes of course, we will be glad to have you, and thank you."

He walks off in the direction of the others.

Colonel Young leans over to Camile and says. "What just happen?"

"Don't complain Colonel. They're going to repair Destiny at the cost of information that they could have just taken for free. As you said we are not in any position to stop them."

"Well I hate to look at a gift horse in the mouth, but let's just stay alert. Nothing is just free."

Standing outside at the base of the steps, the Destiny crew looking around at the crowd.

Colonel Young turns to face Scott. "Lt. Scott why don't you take the shuttle up, and we will…"

"Colonel Young?" A Brea vent' Lore native interrupts Young. He Looks at him or her, still not able to tell. "May I speak with you a moment please?"

"Yes of course, but it will need to be quick we are heading out soon."

"Yes I understand, my name is Sahley I am a monk here at the local monastery." She moves closer and lowers her voice. "Our planets most holy mother insists on having a word with you and your group before you leave."

"I'm sorry but…"

"This will be a great honor for you, for she has rarely seen anyone but those who care for her before."

"Where is she then?"

"You have been cleared to land your shuttle at the nearest village." She handed him a data pad with a map of the current continent showing their location, then the view zoomed out and moved to the location that was where Eli had noted a distortion from the scanners "A ground transport will be meeting you there."

"Well then. Okay, Camile, Volker, and Tta'nal you're all with me. Lt. Scott report back to Destiny and fill them in, We'll be taking the shuttle."

"Yes sir." He head down the street towards the gate plaza. Scott stops as Young's radio clicks, and Lt. Johansen's voice was heard. "Colonel Young this is Destiny."

"This is Young, go ahead TJ."

"Permission to allow Eli to visit the planet? He is driving me crazy sir."

Young looks up closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Fine send him through the gate and Lt. Scott will meet up with him and take him to the shuttle where we will meet him, over." He looked back at Scott. "Go." Young looks at Tta'nal. "Where has Vlakmen gone off to?"

"I do not know, possible she is being debriefed on all that has been going on. The Pownia are a secretive people, his Representative has not spoken of her at all."

"Ok then, we will have to go without her."

Chapter 9

Trees and more trees

"This is my first visit of an alien civilization, well not including the Nakai. We only saw their ships." Eli stated.

"It's only the tip of the iceberg Eli. This is a planet that exports food to many different races, and that's why they are helping repair Destiny. As a thank you for the lives that where saved." Camile said.

The _truck stopped_ in front of a huge wall leading left and right with no end in sight. "We are here." The monk Sahley said. "You just need to ring that bell over there next to the door and someone will be along to admit you."

"What do you mean, you not coming with us?"

"Oh no not me, just all of you, the mother has not requested me. I have not received such an honor."

"Ok then, Volker why don't you go ring the bell then."

"Me? Why me?"

"This is your adventure so lead the way please."

"Fine, but if we all die don't blame me."

"Don't worry Volker I already blamed you miles away."

"Great just what I needed a guilt trip" he walk up to the bell picked up the hammer and struck the bell slightly.

"Oh come on I hardly heard that from here." Eli said.

Volker struck it again but a lot harder. A loud dong sounded, and he stepped back. "Now what?"

"You wait."

So they waited, and waited, and waited. "This wall is sure high and long. How long is it anyway? "Eli asked?"

"Thousands of jetim in diameter and 700 oleic high at its highest point but it's only about 350 oleic here."

"Wow what are you trying to keep in there." Eli said with a noticeable nervous tone in his voice.

"Not in, out."

Eli looks behind them and all over the landscape. "Oh really!" He takes a few steps to the door. "Then I hope they come soon then."

"Do not worry Mr. Eli Wallace It is to keep prying eyes out"

"Is that not out of date when all one needs to do is look from space."

"There is a shield over the area that disrupts all forms of visual devices from viewing the area from the sky or space."

"The distortion the scanner found, that's what it is." Eli realizing now, but what is it hiding.

The big door opened, a monk exits a door at the base of the wall walks out to them wearing a robe looking like a priest or something.

"Good morning travelers my name is gardener Wenon, You are expected."

Colonel Young steps forward. "May I ask if our friend Dr. Tta'nal here may join us? He has been an asset to us on you planet and helped us in understanding your ways and language."

Wenon hesitated a moment. "Yes of coarse he is permitted to join you."

Young looks back at Tta'nal. "Well you coming or are you just going to sit there with your mouth open catching bugs?"

"Yes… yes of course. Thank you Colonel Young this is a great honor in deed."

"We do demand that what you all see here be kept to your selves. We do not want others know what is behind the wall." Sahley said

"Of course we will." Young said and turned and faced the others. "Right?" they all said yes.

The monk motions them to follow. As they entered through the door one by one they were engulfed in a bright shimmering light, and then led down the hall.

"What was that?" Eli asked.

The monk stopped and turned to Eli. "Do not worry it was just security scanning for any weapons. We cannot be too careful."

"Why would that be needed if she is rarely seen by outsiders?"

"Long ago she was not perotected by this wall. She was freely seen by all, until someone tried to destroy her and those her cared for her. It would have devastated our world. She is what gives us all that we have. She helps with the weather, growth of the plant life. The food we grow. The food that feeds the animals, she gives us all freely and we there for care for her with everything we can."

He turns and continues down the hall. A door opens in front of him and they exit into a beautiful lush garden full of all kinds of plant life from flowers to trees. "Colonel what kind of being has that much power unless it is a ascended and using its power to control these people like the Ori, or someone else that is using a weather control device to maintain their obedience. SG1 found one if you remember that report." Camile stated to him under breath.

"Yes I remember. Just keep alert."

They approached a trolley looking wagon that was obviously pulled by a very large looking bull with a blunt nose and a long neck, not as long as a giraffe's, but long just the same. Why do we need this is mother far?" Volker asked

"This is what will get us there quicker, she is at the center of the great garden." They all climb on each taking a seat. "Please hang on to the bar in front of you." The trolley jumped forward. They moved through the garden turning this way, and that away so many times Young was not sure if he could find his way back to the entrance. As they turned yet another corner they started down a long road and at the end he could see a clearing. When they entered the clearing there stood the largest tree he has ever seen.

"Ah… that's a very big tree. How is it that we were unable to see it from the wall?" Eli asked

"Because of all the trees and foliage Eli." Volker responded.

Wenon continued through the clearing then came to stop when the road ended "This is far as we go with the cart we must walk the rest of the way." Wenon said.

They all climbed down and followed him down the path that led towards the tree. There are many monks scattered throughout the clearing tending to the many different grasses and plant life. As they walked up to the base of the tree Young noticed a computer terminal standing there. Completely out of place with its surroundings. The group approached it.

"Welcome." A low sounding voice said coming from a speaker on the terminal.

"Who is this?" Young asked.

"I am what the monks call the mother."

"Well then where are you at?" Young asked.

"I am in front of you."

"All we see is a tree, so show yourself so we can talk face to face, after all you did ask to see us before we left."

Wenon quickly steps forward. "Forgive them mother they are not of this would they do not under…"

"I know where they are not from. I will answer your questions. I am the mother of all life on this world. If not for me this world would be no different then others, rugged, untamed flowing through time around this star above so close that if any closer it would not allow life at all. The star is life giving and life taking."

Volker leans forward and whispers to young. "The Goldilocks zone, it's on the closer edge to the star."

Col. Young whispers back without looking back. "I know what the goldilocks Zone is. Now be quit." Young is entranced, this being, this mother is in fact the tree. There were reports from SG1's missions of contact with intelligent life form other than humanoid, one was water, another he remembers reading was some sort of crystal.

"I am millions of your years old and my young are spread all over the planet and also to other planets. This allows us to see other alternate universe's branching out from those worlds further increasing what we see and record all within."

"Do you mean you actually see the other alternate universe as a visual representation as branches like a tree?"

"A simple way to say it, but yes."

"Fascinating, SG-1 found an alien device that allowed them to open a portal to other alternate universe and turning the dial left or right changed the alternate universe to witch whatever one would need to go to. All they had to do was touch the mirror and they were transported there." Camile stated

"Mirror, mirror." Eli said.

"What?"

"Star trek the episode where the crew is transporter accidently to an alternate universe…"

"Ok Eli we get the pitcher."

"Anyway SG-1 have had several visits to and from an alternate universe."

"Interesting I have never heard of any being traversing between the branches. I would like to hear more of this mirror, but not right now. Every so often two branches come together and a ripple or flash it is hard to tell in words but when this happens an offspring is bourn from the mother tree of the world that it is on."

"Please tell me it's not the fruit on the tree ah… Tree limbs I mean."

"No the process is separate. It comes from the base of the tree. As I was saying, when you and you ship Destiny saved us from destruction there was a ripple like no other that has been seen ever before. It was a joining of the branches of two worlds from different galaxies, and it was so compelling that ever great tree on our planet gave birth as you call it. It is a moment of great joy when one path becomes two as one was many, then after millions of your years became one again to start a new main branch or trunk if you will."

"What do you mean one path that became many and then became one again?"

"All branches lead back to the first one, where all things began with the great one who started it all. It is only a theory though. We can only follow the branches back so far as to the first tree to open themselves to the fabric of time and space."

"How do you record the information to see back that far?"

"When a great tree views the changes all is shared with all the great trees even with the sisters of other worlds."

"You are in some connection with your… sisters?"

"Yes, by a means you know as subspace."

"Wow, talk about a long distance phone bill."

"Eli stop." Camile Said.

"I find this humbling and honored that you have shared this knowledge with us, but I feel that there is another reason that you have asked us here."

"Yes this is true but I need to tell you this so you understood what I am about to ask of you. I would ask that you take with you aboard Destiny my new offspring so we may experience a new world and with Destiny new galaxies. Like you we will become explorers of the universe and someday where it all started."

"How did you know of Destiny's mission?"

"It was shown to us in the fabric the moment the branches became known to us. Through the fabric we sometimes see the outcomes of events that will cause a branching of the tree. You know them as prophecies. We do not see the details but we see the event happening, just as we saw your arrival. We interpret what we see, and with you we saw. 'When all is lost and doom is upon this world what path is set and no one can change, destiny will sweep away the doom and all will be saved by the young.' So it is what we saw."

Everyone turned and looked at Colonel Young, Who was beginning to flush in the face. "Can you see our path in this branch?"

"As you arrived in our galaxy the branches became many and it has become difficult to see and read, but one thing is clear to all is that Destiny will be the making of much change."

"You say you would like your offspring to travel with us but we don't have the space for a great tree to grow as large as you. Forgive me if I am to blunt."

"A great tree only grows as large as the area it is in allows. I have been told that Destiny has a large area with a glass dome that was used to grow food but was destroyed by a blue star that you need to refuel at. This was a great loss of course and the government has already agreed to help you rebuild the dome and supply you with soil and plant life and food crops that grow fast, they will also fit the dome with a retractable hard shield so that if the ship shields fail the plant life is safe. With your permission of course."

Young smiles. "Well then we will be honored to have your offspring aboard, but we know nothing about the care of your offspring."

"I will send caretakers along and when you leave this galaxy you or them may choose to send them home."

"Agreed then. Will there be an interface like yours installed also."

"Yes and the means to repair or even interface with the ship."

"Well then Eli I am assigning you the job of getting it set up and running, work with the caretakers."

"No wait… what?"

"Who better then you to help with the interface?"

"Thank you Colonel Young you show use a great honor."

"I am not promising much there is dangers aboard Destiny everyone seems to want her for the information or the technology, or just to destroy her."

"You refer Destiny as her, is the ship alive then?"

"Not to my knowledge no, at times we are not too sure, but we refer to all ships as her or she. At the time of the ancient mariners on our home world even as far back as over 2500 years our time scale, most were 'married to the sea due to their love of the ocean. The ships were their lively hood, their home and their love. As a compliment to the woman they loved they named their sailing vessels after them, telling them that it would remind them of the ones they left behind for the months and sometimes years they would be gone."

"That is a romantic tail for a ship. I am glade that you have honored us with it."

"The honor is all mine, mother." Has young finished there was a rumble in the ground, and all the caretakers went to their knees, began chanting "the mother honors us with the offering of her off spring." A split in the base of the tree widened and inside lay a large seed like pod. Young walks forward and reaches in and takes up the pod, then the split closes back sealing the inner chamber. Immediately a caretaker wheels over a cart with a lot of padding in it, young places it in the cart.

"I will care for her until her new home is ready."

"So be it then you will attend to the needs of the new great tree that travels between the stars. Pick others that you will need to assist you."

"It will be a great honor mother. Thank you."

"Do not thank me; thank Colonel Young for allowing this. I am weary of all the talk I have not talked so long before; it is hard to communicate with others not of the branch. So I bid you fair well, and travel safely and far." The interface went blank

Chapter 9

What is broken

The whoosh of the wormhole fades away as the event horizon settles into newly formed blue puddle of a Stargate. Colonel Young, and Dr. Rush stand of to the side patiently waiting. A few moments later a tall slim Pownia males walks out of the gate followed by what looked like two aids. Young walks up to him. "Welcome aboard the Destiny Representative Silaviea." Young offers his hand.

Silaviea takes his hand. "Thank you Colonel Young, I have been looking forward to this. This is amazing, I would not have imagined a Stargate as you call it on a ship."

"Yes well it does help in finding supplies that we need. May I present Dr. Nicholas Rush our leading expert on Destiny, you will be working closely with him, and others in the crew."

"Very good, it is an honor to meet you Dr. Rush. My I introduce to you my associates, Mr. Bearen Stella who is an engineer specializing in alien techknowledge integration. And Ms. Hanannlea Cobrin from Vormaylia, who is a computer data expert and also is a linguist, and is our leading archeologist on the Stargates and who built them, so you can imagine she has a lot of questions."

"Of course pleased to meet you, I mean all of you. I will be a pleasure to fill you in on the ancients, or even better they called themselves Alteran."

"Alteran you say, and your race are decedent from these Alteran's?"

"Not directly, but they settled on earth and bred with the earlier humans, and their DNA is a part of us... well some of us anyway. But they looked like us but with just a few DNA differences. We are their second evolution. But we can talk later we will have plenty of time."

"This is Lt. Scott he will show you to your quarters. Get settled first and then we will give you a tour. Scott bring them to the observation deck when they are ready."

"Yes sir. This way gentleman." They followed Scott out of the gate room.

Colonel Young grabs his radio. "TJ is everyone ready?"

"Yes sir we are all here." TJ's voice was heard over the radio in response.

"Greer, report."

"All clear sir. Our new guests are busy with Mr. Brody by the navigation post."

"Very good, thank you." Young looks at rush. "Shall we?"

"Okay, but I still am not sure why this is necessary!"

"Everyone needs to know what's going on, and what's expected of them to keep control of everything. Also…" Young takes a deep breath and sighs. "What to say and not to say." They headed off to talk to the rest of the unlikely crew of Destiny.

Destiny drops out of FTL just on the edge of the star system that the Representative Silaviea gave them.

"Okay so where now Mr. Silaviea?"

"Go ahead and scan the system, there is quite a few docking platforms here." Silaviea said

"Scanning the system now." Rush quickly pushes several buttons.

"Anything." Young says after a few moments.

"Three planets, the forth one must be on the other side of the star. And a lot of ships, but they are not showing any major power indications. Most of the power signatures seem to be coming from what looks to be docking moors and stations throughout the system."

"That will be the Vorlimean ship yards you are picking up." Silaviea said.

"Kuat shipyards."

"No, it's the Vorlimean ship yards."

"Ignore him; he is just making a reference to a fictional entertainment film."

"Oh I see, we also have such thinks, you may want to look into them sometime."

Destiny continues through the outer system. Every one closely watching the navigation heads up display continuously updating with new contact after contact.

"There, that's the one we need to go to." Silaviea said.

"And there is the fourth planet." Mr. Brody said. "Wow it looks heavily populated. Look at all the lights on the night side."

"Yes it is, we have a large support force here on Vorlimean, and the local's benefit greatly from this. The contract is good for three more GD's, but we are already in negotiation to continue as is."

"What would you do if they wanted you out of their system?" Colonel Young asked.

"All of the docking stations will fold inward to the center, and then pulled to a new system by a hyperspace dug ship."

"Cool, a mobile ship yard." Eli said.

"I am not sure what cool is in reference to, but many systems are bidding for the contract, so who knows where it will be in three GD's."

"Well cool means..."

"Eli, stop please." Young said. "Now we know where to go. Rush how are we on power? Should we refuel first?"

"We are at 50% of our current capability, and we have no idea how long we will be in the dock for repairs, so yes I think we should."

"Okay then, plot a course to the star then to the dock."

"I have already done so, and just need to initiate the course change, done." Destiny leaps forward, heading in the direction of the star.

"Representative Silaviea If you would please notify who ever needs to know about ours course and ETA at the specified dock."

Silaviea looks at Young in confusion. "What is ETA?"

"Sorry, estimated time of arrival."

"Oh yes of course." Silaviea walked over to were Mr. Brody was sitting. "Can you open a channel for me?"

"Yes sir, channel is open have a seat, and just use the button there to talk."

"Thank you so much."

Colonel Young walks over to where Rush was sitting, leans in a little and whispers. "Rush I think you are the most qualified to be in control of all the repairs so you can watch them, and keep control of things we may not want them to know."

"And what exactly do we not want them to know?"

"Come on Rush you're the best man for the job of keeping secrets. Think about it for one thing, try to limit information about earth. About the ninth chevron, or at least its importance in getting on board Destiny. We discussed all this with the crew remember? Or were you not there?"

"Okay, I see what you mean. That may be wise."

Destiny enters the docking mores of the space dock

"That's a lot of lights." Elis said.

"Those are scanning probs. They are scanning the hull for damaged areas and any hull breaches."

"They should find a lot of those." Eli said.

Brody sit's up sharply. "A… sir the data integration terminal just lit up and a lot of data is coming through. Everything seems to be working fine. Bringing up the HUD screen now." A screen pops up in thin air in front of them showing the hull of Destiny slowly appearing starting from the tip of the ship moving backward.

"That's a large hull breach there on the left side of the nose."

Rush moves the screen to focus in on the noise end of the ship.

"I cannot see anything, but that may be due to any loose debris that has been sucked out by vacuum."

"Here, I have control of one of the probes. I'll send one in if you can lower the shield there."

As the probe moved into the hull breach a new screen pop up showing the inner chamber as a 3D image. "This is starting to look like a very large space."

"I suspected as much." Rush said.

"What, you suspected what?"

"A cargo bay. A ship this size has to have some way to move a large amount of cargo."

"Why? We have a stargate." Eli stated.

"Yes but the gate uses a tremendous amount of power. It would be interesting to see what's left there, but that will have to wait until the hull is repaired. Then we will need to get the power restored to that section. We haven't been able to bring up those schematics. There must be a short somewhere."

"The area that Chloe and I were lost in during the Lucian Alliance attack was a little aft and not too forward, and there were a lot of sections we couldn't access. The air was also a lot thinner."

"I'm not surprised, the middle section from here..." Rush points to the display at the middle of Destiny then to the far end were the cargo bay is. "…to here. The damaged hull area back here must be were the damaged power relays are. We need to fix that first, so we can get the cargo bay door repaired, and then we can move a lot more supplies needed for repairs. Mr. Silaviea can you make that a priority for the first repair work?"

"Yes of course, and I agree with Dr. Rush the cargo bay will be very helpful in supply transfers."

Colonel Young now sitting at the center command chair deep in thought as he watches the group conversing on what to repair first. 'This will be difficult to keep in control of all this. Rush may not be up to this when he looks like a kid in a toy store. All this seems so unreal, repairing us at no cost, resupplying us maybe but total repair. They have to be some motive to all this but what is it. I need to talk to SGC.' He gets up. "Rush you seem to have everything under control." He looks right at Rush as Rush turned to look at him. "If you need me I'll be in my quarters."

"Yes Colonel." Rush said knowing that he will be trying to contact SGC.

Young walk's out of the bridge.

"Sir, are you sure about all this?" Greer said as Young walk by him. Greer has been standing at guard near the bridge door watching the aliens closely.

"No Sgt. I do not, just keep your eyes open for me okay."

"Yes sir, will do." Greer said and turned back to continue watching the group."

Chapter 11

Stargate Command

Young walked on down the ramp to the main hallway. When he came to the door to his quarters he pushed the hatch button, and entered his room before the door was all the way open, then pushed the button to close the door. "Anything?" he said to Camile Wray who was sitting at the table where he had put the communication stones device earlier.

"There was a flicker in my mind once, it looked as if I was back at SGC, but it was just a flash and it was gone. Other than that, nothing. I think there maybe something wrong on their end."

Young sits down next to her, takes a stone place's it on the device to activate the connection. A flash and he finds himself looking at a woman in a SGC uniform. "Lt. what's been happening, Wray has been sitting at the stones but nothing has been happening."

"Sorry sir but one of the stones has failed to activate on our side. She must be trying to use the stone that is linked to it. The airman that has taken your place should be telling her to use another stone."

"I see, well when you get there it is very important that you do not leave the room at all.

You will be briefed later. I'm sorry."

"Yes sir I understand." She said, than she looked up at him. "Colonel it's me Wray."

"Good, then Sgt. take us to General O'Neal."

"Yes sir, please follow me." The Sgt. pressed the mic on his radio. "This is the stone room; I am bringing Col. Young to see General O'Neal." He turns and opens the door and walks out followed by Col. Young and Camile Wray. They were escorted to General O'Neal's office. The Sgt. opened the door for them and they entered the office. "The General will be with you in a Minute" He then shut the door and left them alone in the office.

"What's going on?" Camile asked.

"I have no idea, but I'm sure the General will fill us in." At that moment the door opened and General O'Neal walked in.

"So you made it I presume, that's good. So, report." O'Neal sat down at his desk, leaned forward in his chair with his hands clasp to gather. Young and Camile looked at each other. "So, your late but that's okay we have been busy defending the planet and all. The alliance has been making attack runs for some time now, and the jig was up and we were forced to inform the nations of what's going on. It went better than we thought, some complaints from the religious groups, but all in all we're good. The stone room was buried in debris for a while, at the time it was not a priority, but now that we have more we removed the debris and since we were expecting a call from you, so here we are. It has been keeping Daniel Quite busy. How about you, is every one doing well I hope?" O'Neal asked.

"Well we did make it across, and Eli found a way to survive. We didn't arrive as scheduled, just over one month. That is why we are late in reporting in. "

"Well great to know, but I am sensing something else may be wrong?" The General asked "You both looked at each other just now." He looked intensive at Col. Young.

The briefing took a little longer then he thought.

Young finds himself back in the familiar surroundings of his quarters on Destiny. "Well that's done."

"Yes as interesting as it was I find myself happy to be here. I better get on with my reports and assignment's. I don't envy your job anymore Colonel. Good luck."

"Thanks, we will need a lot of it." Young turns to see Lt. James standing near the door to the room. "Lt. It's me Young, have there been any developments."

"Sir it's good to have you back at the time. You need to get to the shuttle dock 3 they have finished adapting an air lock to it, and they are ready to board with the repair crew operation directors."

Young stands and heads out of his room. "Great how long do we have?"

"They should be entering the access tube about now." James said as she follow Young down the hall.

Colonel Young stood staring at the empty shuttle platform where the station work crews had attached a docking door to shuttle pad three for access to the ship by more work crews. That pad has been empty sense they had to use it as a decoy at the drone galaxy so they could gate to a planet that had the asteroid minerals that was needed to repair the stasis pods. The shuttle was lost but the mission was a success. This was over three years ago. That seams such a long time ago, only for them three years was just over two weeks ago. We still had one, but if we lose that it may limit us in what we do. He saw movement in the hatch window, and moved to the activation knob and pressed it. The hatch gears turn and it opens and a rush of fresh air blows past his face. An alien he has yet to see walk's up to him then stopped and stood there. Next to it a Pownia male who stepped between them addressed him. "Colonel Young I presume?"

"Yes that is right, and you are?" Young said.

"I am the Queen Luanestia from the planet Haronima's spokesman; any communication with her must be overseen by me, or my reliefs."

"Queen! And why do we have a Queen here? We are in no position for a royal visit."

"Royal? Oh wait she is the Queen of the 600 or so worker's that are repairing Destiny, that are also her children. On her planet each female is a Queen of her own hive of up to several hundred male workers. She is also mentally connected to them that will improve productivity and efficiency. They are hired by most corporations, and highly sought after for a work force. You will be accustom to their presence. She just needs a work station to work from that will give her access to the ship's systems to monitor the repairs."

"Very well. Eli?" Young turned and faced Eli who had been standing behind a console watching the exchange and staring at the Queen from Haronima.

"Ah, yes Colonel?"

"Please show Queen Luanestia to one of the control rooms, and show them how to access the console. And then show her to one of the assigned quarters near to there."

"Me? Okay then, please follow me." Eli walk out of the shuttle hallway, and the group followed him. He led them to the control room that they used when they first arrived here on Destiny before they found the bridge. "Here we are." He pressed a few icons on the screen. "The language is an ancient one that has not been spoken in hundreds of thousands of years, until recently of course. I'll have to walk you through it with you."

The Haronima Queen stepped forward. "May I?" she said.

"You will not be able to read the…"

"Mr. Eli Wallace the VMTD behind your ear has updated me on your language and when you read the ancients words your mind interprets them into my own. So I can read it."

"Oh okay, sorry." Eli said

"There is no need to be sorry. I will need to get started, so thank you." Eli stepped back.

Queen Luanestia spokesman walked over to Eli, and stood next to him. "You should be honored."

"Honored, yah... I guess so. I've never meet a Queen before"

"Honored because she rarely talks to anyone." And he walks back to the other side of the room.

"Well your ladyship, I need to show you to your quarters."

The spokesman stepped forward once again. "There will be no need, her quarters are here, and she will not be leaving this room." He said. "You may leave us now, thank you."

"Yes well I'll leave you to it then." Eli said and walked out then looked back and swore he saw the Queen of whatever looking at him and smiling, and then the door slide closed. "That was weird." Eli headed back to the bridge

Chapter 12

Leave

Colonel Young walked up to the steps leading up the upper level of the gate room and stopped half way up and reached out and grabbed the railing as he turned around to face the crew.

"Thank you all for coming. As you all know we are now in a dry dock for repairs, but what you don't know is how and why. Only a few of us where out of stasis when it all went down. "

Rush pushed the off icon and the screen went blank. "I got better things to do." Turned back to the controls on his left, and to the monitors that monitored the repair crews. "I need to keep an eye on them and what they do."

"You can't watch them 24 hours a day you know. You will need to sleep and eat." Brody said.

"Well then, we will just have to take shifts then won't we?"

"What? No way, I have a lot of things to do of my own."

"Mr. Brody we have to make sure they do not do something that may jeopardize our control of Destiny. Yes before you say it, I know they could have taken this ship at any time, but that does not mean we let our guard down."

"What do you think Colonel Young will say when he hears about this?" Brody stated

"The Colonel is who told me to do this." Rush said

"What? When? That's ridiculous." Brody said

"What's ridiculous?" Eli said as he entered the bridge. "Why aren't you watching, the Colonel is telling the rest of the crew what's been happing?" He turned the monitor on at the station that he usually sits at. Young was still talking.

"I know we have all been cooped up on Destiny along time. So I have authorized scheduled shore leave. And the Planet representatives have issued credit chips to everyone aboard. They will instruct you all in the uses and limitation of them and a guide will be assigned to every group to help you stay out of trouble while you are on the planet. So be safe and have fun, but remember we are the first contact they have had outside this galaxy." A cheer was heard from the speakers.

"Cool I could use some new cloths."

"You can have my chip Eli if you get some things on a list I'll give you? I will not be leaving Destiny" Rush said.

"What? You don't think you need a break?"

"No I don't."

"Ok then make your list, and I'll see what I can do. What about you Brody?"

"Oh no I'll go and get my own things thank you."

Eli sat quietly thinking of what he wanted to get and how much was going to be on the chip.

A shuttle glides to a stop and settles down on its landing struts. The engines wined down to silence as steam comes from the underside, and the engines loose pressure. The side hatch opens up and of ramp lowers down; Lieutenant Scott and Chloe walk down the ramp, stop and stare at the spaceport, as workers go to and from home and work. Loud sounds of hammering, grinding, and engine blasts could be heard, along with the smells of burnt fuel, grease, and oil reminded Scott of an air base. One of the other passenger's bumps into Scott as he hurry's down the ramp and into the crowd below. "Excuse me." Scott yells after him. "You know, I'm starting to Miss Destiny already."

"And why is that Matt." Chloe said as she looks out over the crowd.

"For one thing the smell, and not as crowded is another."

"Matt It is a major city on Vorlimean; Mr. Silaviea did say there was a large support group here."

A Kemptla female walked through the crowd and approaches them. "Lt. Matthew Scott, Miss Chloe Armstrong I presume?"

"Yes we are." Chloe said and greeted the women in the standard Kemptla greeting that all Destiny crew where taught before they left the ship. "And you must be our guide assigned to us while we are here."

The women returned the greeting "Yes… yes I am, my name is Savena Wrena, but just call me Savena. I am pleased to meet you. Please follow me; I have transportation arranged into the city. We will get you settled in your lodgings first, and then we will meet up with a government official that will go over a few things like what not to do. We want your visit with us to be safe. Are these more of your group?"

Scott turned and looked behind him, there were more of Destiny's crew disembarking from the shuttle. "Yes they are with us." He waves at Eli and the group walks over to Scott and Chloe. They all follow her out of the port where a large bus was waiting for them. No one even noticed a hooded individual watching them intently, and as the bus pulled away from the port the figure lifted a hand up and spoke into a device on the wrist. Then ran to the curb as a shabby vehicle pulled up, and got in, then sped off after the bus.

Hours later Scott and Chloe were walking along on a walkway with shops on either side. Chloe just looked around and took it all in. "Just look at it Mat, if not for all the different aliens this could be a city on earth."

"Yep, all getting along, and not out to kill one another. Not like back home, or." Scott shrugs his shoulders, and looks in to Chloe's eyes. "On Destiny being chased through the universe by them." Chloe looks down then up to the sky and takes a big breath. "Man I'm sorry Chloe I didn't mean…"

"No… no it's ok, this is." Chloe waves her around. "Different, they are not trying to hurt us, they are helping us." She looks down the street and spots a clothing store. "How much did Savena say are on these credit chips?"

"She said enough to buy anything we want short of a house. What are you thinking?"

"This girl needs a new wardrobe."

"Oh I see. Well I could use some civvies I guess."

Chloe grabs his hand and starts pulling him down toward the store. "You guess! Come on Mat that's your only outfit. Ha ha." She continued laughing as she enters the store.

As he started to enter the store Scott noticed a sign above a shop. "Chloe I'll be right back I see another store that I need something from."

"Okay I'll be right here hurry back."

"I will." Scott said and walked across to the other side of the walkway. A child approached him, looked to be about a 7 year old boy.

"What kind of person are you? I have never seen anyone like you, and I have seen a lot." The child said to Matt.

Matt kneels down so he is face to face with the boy. "Hello there, well I am a human, and I'm from a planet called Earth."

"I have never heard of this Earth, what star system is it in?"

"Well it's in the Sol system as we call it and it's in what we call the Milky Way Galaxy billions of light years away."

"You are not from our Galaxy? That is so amazing. How long did it take you to get here?"

"That's a very long story, and I'm on a mission to that shop there to buy something so why don't you run along and find your mother Okay."

"OK." The boy sounded a little disappointed, and turned and ran down a side alley. "Wait until I tell my friends that I met someone from…" the boy stopped talking suddenly. "Who are you, let me go."

Matt turned and entered the alley. "Hello, hello where are you? Are you hurt?" someone grabbed him and stuffed a damp cloth over his face, and he became weak and started to fall, his assailant grabbed his arms and someone else picked up his legs, then nothing.

When Lt. Matthew Scott became aware that he was sitting down but did not remember why he was sitting down, he jolted awake and stood up looking around confused. He was just in the alley he had walked into, a chair was behind him that he had been sitting on, but did not remember seeing it there before. He checks his pockets quickly, but everything was there even the credit chip given to him by Savena earlier. Scott looked at his watch; 18 min have passed since he left Chloe. "Chloe!" Scott said as he ran to the clothing store, and when he got there he saw Chloe shuffling through a rack of blouses. She is safe, she looks up and smiles at him, and he smiles back. She goes back to her shopping. Scott starts wondering what had just happen to him. Nothing was missing so he wasn't mugged, so why and what were they looking for? Scott walked back to the alley and peered down and saw nothing, not even the child he had seen. He walks slowly to the shop that he was heading to before he got jumped. He'll have to talk to Savena about it when they see her tomorrow. He entered the shop.

As Scott entered the store Chloe was heading out. "What took you so long?"

"I got held up." Scott said.

"No matter, I got you a new outfit or 2, you can try them on at the room."

"I hope they fit."

"They will." Chloe said with a tone of certainty in her voice. "Let's go to that dinner on the corner there, the teller said it has many great dishes and I'm hungry."

"Sure I could eat something."

As they walked to dinner Chloe reached for Matts hand and weaved her fingers with his, and she felt him tense up then relax. "Is something wrong, was I not suppose too do that?" She started to pull away.

"You can hold my hand any time you want, it's just that…" Matt said with a little uncertainty and confusion.

"What is it Matt, you can tell me, remember what we agreed to, no secrets."

"I know but… I don't know maybe it's nothing."

"Matt, tell me what's wrong now or I'll whap you on the back of your head."

"Well it's why I took so long getting back to you." Matt stopped talking as they entered the dinner, and was greeted by the hostess."

"Good day, and how many will there be?" she said with pleasant smell and very, very white teeth.

Matt held up two fingers. "Just the two of us thank you."

The hostess looked at him with a questioning look, but looked at his VMTD and the look was replaced with a knowing look. "Oh I see, you are new to this world." She snapped her fingers and waved a male host over.

The host came over to the desk. "Hello may I help you?" the hostess pointed to the VMTD behind Matt's ear. "Oh I see." He pressed a tab on his own VMTD. "There, mine is updated with yours so I can understand you now. Please follow, two of you yes?"

"Yes, thank you." Matt said.

"See that is better is it not?" He said. "I am called Samir, and welcome" He continued leading them through the diner, then he stopped, turned to them, and raised his left arm to direct them. They weaved through the tables toward an empty table. Matt noticed a few heads turning as they walked by with questioning looks on their faces. "Here we are a table for two." He pulled the chair to the left out. "May I Miss?"

"Armstrong, Chloe Armstrong. Thank you Samir, and this Mathew Scott." Chloe said, and sat down and watched Matt sit down across from her.

"It is my pleasure to serve you today, and may I help you in your choices by asking what type of food you eat."

"Well we eat leaf type greens, animal proteins like fish and bird for white meat, and red meat from herbivores, cooked of course."

"Yes of course, anything on the menu is edible by you then, except number 16 through 24, unless you eat insects."

"No, but we can we just don't prefer to, some do though."

"Well I will leave you to look over the menu, also if you tap the number a pitcher will pop up to show you what the dish looks like."

"Thank you."

"You are welcome." He walked back towards the front desk.

Matt tapped the number one and the pitcher of the dish popped up. "Cool." He said.

Chloe tapped though the numbers. "What is it that's bothering you Matt?" She said as she continued to tap at the menu.

"Oh yah..., well on my way to the shop I was going to, I meet a little boy, and after we talked he ran off down an alley, then I heard him scream 'who are you' and 'let me go'. So I entered the alley to see what was up." He paused.

"And what was going on Matt, was the boy hurt?"

Matt leaned closer to her and whispered. "That's just it Chloe I don't remember what happen other than a rag with an odor to it was stuffed in my face, and it all went black, then I woke up sitting on a bench just inside the alley."

"Oh my god Matt, are you hurt? What did they take?"

"That's just it nothing is missing and I'm not hurt at all. So I don't know what they wanted."

"We will talk to Savena about it as soon as we get back. I am just glad you're okay. I can't imagine what I would do if something happen to you."

"I'm glad you feel that way. I do have something to ask you." He reached into his shirt pocket. Chloe was now looking at him intently. He revealed a ring with a single blue diamond on the setting. He reached for her hand, and she put it in his hand. She was shaking and her eyes were starting to well up with tears. "Chloe Armstrong will you do me the honor of marring me?"

Eli's eye's fluttered open as he awakened in the most comfortable bed he has ever slept in, especially in the past few years. Thinking back to his college dorm rooms, and his home bed he couldn't think of a bed more conforming. Well other than the alien hibernation pod… 'Eli was sitting next to his mother who was dying and she was talking to him about how proud she was of him doing something so amazing even if it was in another galaxy…' Eli now was lying there looking up at the ceiling in his hotel room. He sat up sharply. "What the hell was that?" He said out loud. He rolled and sat on the edge of the bed thinking. 'It must have been a dream I had at one time, yah... that had to be it.' He said to himself trying to convince himself. He stood up and walked into the bathroom. It was full of different styles of toilets and he didn't want to think of what kind of alien used them. No matter, I'm here now. He finished and cleaned up and went back into to bedroom, sat at the table by the window, leaned sideways reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out 3 data chips. "Time to go shopping, I think I'll do Rushes list first then Colonel Young, then we will see what I can get." He got up and headed out the door.

Eli walked out of what looked like a post office. He had packaged for Young and Rush's things that they had him get. Along with some clothing for myself of course. It wasn't much but that's all they wanted, and they told him to keep the rest. Colonel Young did ask me to get a few specific items, things only I would know what to get. Where do I start then. He looked down the street and saw an information screen. Hum maybe that will help.

Eli entered the electronics store and just stared in awe at the size. "This puts any electronics store to shame back on earth. My god it will take me days." He said, as he walked up to a map of the store lay out. It is a touch screen so he pushed the first icon in the area at the top. Entertainment, it said. His VMTD . "So cool." He started pushing the other icon's until he heard "Computer and software." He looked closely at the map to make sure he can find it. He headed off in that direction. He spent the whole morning picking out what he wanted and what Young wanted him to get. He had two carts full of computer equipment and software that he had not dreamed possible and can't wait to get started. The line at the checkout was short and didn't take long. The store had a delivery service that the casher directed him to.

"Thank you mamma. And you said it will be delivered to the repair docking bay were this ship is." Eli handed a paper deliver form."

"Yes, yes, it will be there. Thank you for shopping with us."

"You are welcome, but I'm not done yet, I'll be back." He headed off in the direction of the music section.

Hours later Eli walked along the shopping mall on the way back to his hotel when he saw Scott with 4 others and he was wearing some sort of jump suit. He started off to see what was going on when a van pulled up and they all got in, and it sped away. 'What the hell, who was those guys anyway.' Eli stood there with his hands apart and his mouth open.

Matt walked along the hotel hallway leading to Chloe's and his room. She said yes, he still could not believe it, but she did say yes. Now he is returning to her with the information on wedding two people, though they called it coupling it is the same thing. Ahead of him another resident was trying to get his door open. If not for the fact that he has seen him coming and going from the room he may have considered him a thief. "Need some help?" Matt said.

"Why yes thank you, the key worked but the door will not open, it is like something is blocking it."

"OK then, maybe some elbow grease will help." Matt leaned back and started to slam his shoulder into the door. "Wait how did you understand me?" At that moment the door swung open and two sets of arms grabbed him and pulled him into the room. A rag was stuffed into his face, and everything became fuzzy. "Not again, what do you want?" He struggled, but to no avail everything went black.

The light was dim but became brighter until his eyes popped open. He looked around and saw many Pownia moving about, and they were all wearing lab coats. He saw Brody on his right in some type of tube in a reclined position, his arms tied to his sides and a mask on his face, he looked asleep, and there were others too. There laid Camile next to Brody and he saw two other tubes lined up on his left, Natasha Volkov was in one, but the other was empty. One of the Pownia looked at him.

"This one is awake sir."

"Well hello there Lt. Scott." A Pownia walked over and stood in front of him.

"Representative Silaviea what's going on? Why have you done this, and what are they doing to them?" he nodded his head to the other tubs.

"Oh you do not need to worry about your crew members we will take very good care of them, and you also."

"But why?"

"Why! Destiny of course, we want it."

"You could have taken it at any time. Why do it this way?"

"Let them repair and upgrade it, then take control of it later when we want to. We cannot control your decision, and we do not know why or have time to figure out why, but we may be able to us you foolishness in helping others in need. It is time to go back to sleep now, and I need to leave." A tech injects a fluid into an IV in his right arm.

"Where are we? Wait, where is Chloe?"

"She is okay, she is right were you left her."

"She will know I am missing." Matt's vision became blurry and his head felt heavy.

"No I do not think so."

Matt lifted his head slowly. "What… what do you…" that's all he could say when the blackness overcame him again.

Silaviea walked out of the bay, down a narrow passage. He came to a hatch, and pushed the button on the left. The hatch rolled to the right, and he entered, sat down in the empty chair next to another Pownia who was busy on a data pad. "Ready when you are officer Olden."

"Yes sir." He put the pad down and took the yoke, and pushed the throttle on his right forward, there was a slight jolt as the shuttle broke free and floated away, and then sped away reviling a larger ship with four wings forming a plus symbol with an arrow shaped ship in the Center. It was just passing by the docking moors surrounding Destiny. Then it accelerated forward into hyperspace, and was gone. The small shuttle continued on to the planet.

Eli stepped through the temporary hatch on to Destiny, and took a deep breath. "Home." He never thought he would have said that, but deep down he knew it was true.

"Welcome back Eli." Young said as he walked up to Eli.

Eli turned and looked at him. "Hello Colonel, it's good to be back. Did you get your package I sent you?"

"Yes I did thank you, and so did Rush. Your other things are in your quarters. A lot of things, did you spend it all?"

"Almost, but I got all I needed plus more. The things they sell to the public are so beyond what I could get back on earth. I would love to see what the government has."

"Well feel free to work on whatever you want, but try to focus on what you may need to do later on. I may need to have an ace in the hole."

"OK, I'll get started. Has Scott returned I saw him with some Pownia, and he got in a van with them. Is he on a mission or something?"

"What do you mean? Scott and Chloe returned several hours ago."

"Really? I don't know but it was, odd."

"I'll have a talk with him later. Chloe seamed unhappy with him when the returned from the planet. He looked at me and just shrugged his shoulders and followed her out of the hatch walk way."

Chapter 13

Who is he?

Chloe was wondering the corridors of Destiny deep in thought. Since their return to Destiny her feelings have been in turmoil. Matt has been different she know deep down. When he returned to the hotel room there was no mention of the plans of the wedding. He just wanted to get back to destiny. There was just something about him that was not right. She turned the corner leading to the upper deck and bumped in to Colonel Young. "Oh sorry Colonel I guess I need to watch where I am going."

"Quit all right Chloe, what's on your mind that you go bumping into to people late at night?"

Chloe looked up at him then looked down and then up the corridor. "Well I'm not sure if it's anything Colonel. But…" She hesitated.

"What is it Chloe. What's wrong?"

"It's Matt; he is not the same man as the one that left for the planet a few days ago."

"Ok, why is that? He looks like Lt. Scott to me."

"He's not the same sir. It's not him. I know it deep down. I… I know it in here." He pressed her hand against her chest over her heart. "Please Colonel you have to believe me. I wouldn't just say this if I didn't feel it to be true."

Young stood there looking into her eyes. The seconds ticked on. There came laughter up the ramp, but faded away as they walked away from them. "Ok then, I'll keep an eye on him, but say nothing to anyone. If for some reason that it's possible that it's not him, then that means there maybe others that are not who they are supposed to be ether. A lot of crew members have already been to the planet, and I have no way of checking to see who is who."

"What are we going to do?" Chloe asked.

"I have no idea Chloe, no idea. Only trust those who have not been off the ship is one. I'll have to bring them onboard to what may be a problem."

"Why, I thought you said not to tell anyone?"

"I did tell you not to tell anyone, but if something is going on then I need to stop anymore of the crew from leaving the ship. To do that I will need to tell them why their leave has been canceled. Eli did say there is an online shopping site that they could shop at for now. I'll send them to you for help with clothing size differences."

"Why me?" she asked.

Young stepped back and looked her over head to toe. "Well that's a new outfit so you have a feel for clothing there now, so you Miss Armstrong are our new fashion designer." He laughed.

"What, oh please?" She said slightly embraced.

"Well ether way expect a lot of visits. Talk to Eli about getting set up for the Armstrong shopping center, and you may need to find someplace else to set up, someplace where Scott wouldn't go."

"Ok then get me a list of those who haven't gone to the planet yet."

"That's not hard it's a short list." He stepped past her, and turned to her. "Talk to you later. And watch yourself okay?"

"Yes sir, thank you for listening." She turned and continued to walk up the ramp as he walked down.

Colonel Young sitting at his desk going over the days repair logs, focusing on the weapons and shield defenses. Now that a regular connection to SGC has been established, he'll need to keep them updated on the ongoing relations with the Kemptla, and all the other races that are working on Destiny. He starts writing out a report log on his computer. The space dock they were completely engulfed by was very diverse in many different races. The most interesting being the Haronima Queen. A multiple hive like community race, with telepathic communications between the Queen and its workers, but in a much larger scale. A worker was the size of a small human male, about 3 to 4 feet but the control Queen is as big as an average size male, 5 to 6 feet. Excellent workers, fast and smart. They also do what they are told without question. I think they are everything Rush sees in other people doing for him. Young deletes that last sentence. There is a knock at the door.

"Come in."

The door mechanism turns and clicks and then slides apart.

"Colonel." Eli greets Young as he steps in and pushes the door activation knob.

"Hello Eli, I haven't seen you in a few days. What have you been doing to keep yourself busy during the repairs?"

"Well, I've been, a… in the research lab we found when the ship became fully excisable after they repaired all the hull breaches."

"You find anything useful?"

"Several things actually, one I'm not too sure what to make of. It was an idea the ancients up loaded into the database in the lab. The pages I have read stated they were ready for stage one in the manufacturing process, some sort of power source. It gave a listing on a few star system coordinates for possible sights, but I'm guessing there in the Milky Way. So I'll have to get permission to use the stones to check further. But that's not what I need to talk to you about."

"More important than a power source, must be big. Let's have it."

"The One'amia Queen 'Luanestia' sent me a note on my screen in the lab stating she wishes to speak to you, alone."

"Really, that might be hard when she is never alone, there are Pownia present at all times."

"Yes, but she has an idea to get them out of the control room for a while."

"Ok but first, how has the other project going that I asked you to look into?"

Young pushed the door mechanism, and moved forward as the door slides open. Followed by Eli. He does a quick survey of the room. No Pownia was present, and Luanestia is alone not even any of her workers. "Hello madam Luanestia, I see you were able to get your security detail out of the room. I will not waste time asking how. Eli here said you have something important to discuss with me." Young moved around the room until he was standing in front of her.

"Yes Colonel, thank you for seeing me."

Young stands there looking at the floor thinking, you're thanking me for seeing me, but here I am coming to see you, he looks up. "It's no trouble Luanestia, I'll meet with you any time. So what is the matter, are you alright, has someone hurt you, or offended you in anyway?"

"No, everyone has been very kind to me and mine."

"Then what, and why all the need for secrecy?"

"There are two things; the first is as you know I am able to communicate with my children by using my mind only, but part of being able to do this I need to have their brain waves. This is done passively, and colonel this is the first time a none Haronimaion will know of this so I'm trusting your discretion. By passively I mean every being I am in close contact with, and no one is a where of this, not even my children. Even though your brain waves are part of me nothing is done with it without your mental consent."

"Okay, go on."

"I have noticed a change in the brain waves of a few of your crew members."

"Really, like what?" Young asked remembering his conversation with Chloe.

"The pattern is off slightly, like they are someone else but still them or a close copy."

"Like a clone you mean." Eli said.

"Clone? I do not know the reference."

"A genetic copy that is grown in a lab. The Asgard, a race that are an alley of ours, for generations cloned themselves instead of reproducing the natural way. They eventually cloned themselves so much they are now unable to repair the damage from the genetic degeneration, and are slowly dying out, and will be extinct soon if not already."

"How unfortunate for them, but I have only heard of a process done by the Benou, a race that live on land and in water. They do not have male or female, and their offspring are the same as the parent."

"Amphibian, like a frog." Eli said

"They are a race on the further edge of the federated consortium. They and Pownia have been at war for hundreds of your years."

"Surely the other races have protested this."

"No, they do not know this has been going on. The Pownia are very good at manipulating the other members of the federation."

"Let's stay on topic shall we." Young broke in. "You said they are different, what do you mean?"

"I believe they are not your crew members that left the ship."

"That is the second time I have heard that, so I have no reason to doubt you." Young said.

"Second? When was the first?" Eli asked Young.

"Chloe came to me and said that Lt. Scott has been acting strange since they came back from the planet, like he was different in some way." Young said as he looked down at his feet in thought.

"He seems the same to me." Eli said.

"Lt. Matthew Scott is one that I have noticed a difference in." Luanestia said.

"Who else?" Young asked.

"An Adam Brody, Camile Wray, and a one Natasha Volkov." She hesitated then continued. "You Colonel Young, but with you and several others it is more like someone else is using your mind."

"Oh I see, but there is a difference between me and the four you mentioned?"

"Yes most defiantly."

Young sat there a moment before he spoke again. Eli watched him and wondered what he was thinking. He couldn't hold his tongue anymore "You should tell her Colonel."

"Yes Eli I am going to. I am thinking on the right way."

"Tell me what Colonel Young? Is this a natural thing for your race?"

"No it's not. What I am about to tell, you cannot tell anyone else. Only the Destiny crew know of this."

"Very well Colonel we will both know a secret of one another."

"In my quarters there is an alien communication device we discovered in our galaxy that allows someone to switch places mentally with someone on the other end over vast distances. The mind you sensed was in fact General O'Neal The commander of stargate command on earth several billion light years from here."

"General O'Neal was here." Eli said.

"Yes he was taking a tour and getting a feel of our situation. You said two things?"

"I see there is much about you that the Pownia must not know. This may give you an advantage. I seek sanctuary here when Destiny is complete and ready to leave to continue her journey."

"Sanctuary in our language means a safe place when one is in danger."

"This is so with me."

"What are you in danger from?"

"The Pownia."

"The Pownia? Why are they endangering you? And how?"

"For one thing they are not what they seem."

"Not what they seem? Then what are they?"

"They are the hunters. Every world has tails of a mysterious animal that hunts and kills but leave no tracks or evidence of its self."

"Yes, well we all have such legends, but that's what they just are, legends."

"All legends are based on some facts from history, but the crime scenes are all the same. The victims are torn apart by something with a large mouth and hundreds of small sharp teeth and they are still going on today. The most recent was three days ago on a planet many light years from hear."

"Sounds like just some wild animal, that's all."

She stares right into Young's eyes. "These animals as you say. They can blend in, disappear right in front of you, completely and while you are still looking around in disbelief it will be sinking its teeth into your neck."

"But the Pownia don't look anything like what you are describing. And if they were why have the other government officials not exposed them."

"The Pownia have an uncanny ability to manipulate some ones decision making, like in negotiations someone might think of wanting to say one thing, but may say another because there was Pownia in the room controlling what they actually say. We must wrap this up my guard is on his way back."

"Fine, no wait you mentioned 'without your mental consent' what did you mean?"

"I could also talk with you as I do my children, but you have to give me permission using your mind."

Young looked at her. "Ok, Luanestia I give you provision to communicate with me by my mind."

"Thank you Colonel Young. I will keep you informed this way."

"Please call me Everett, its more personnel in my mind. I will let you know when I use the stone's, and if Eli lets you do this, let's keep this between the three of us, the fewer that know the better."

"Very good Everett. Oh you may want to exit out the door to the right."

Young walk's and exit's the room.

"Wait have you been talking to her?" Eli said following him. "What about me?"

"All you have to do Eli is give her permission." The door closed behind them. Shortly after that the door to the left opened, and the Pownia guard walked in.

She looked up at him. "Thank you for your help, it saved them from starting over on the next shift.

"Just do not let it happen again. I am not supposed to leave you alone." The guard said.

Colonel Young activates the Door mechanize and the door slid sideways and he entered Eli's quartiers. The room was wall to wall monitors multiple keyboards, and there sat Eli in front of a monitor playing a video game. Young walked up to him and removed the head phones from Eli's head. Eli jerked up out of the chair he was sitting on. "Shit..." he screamed in fear, and when he saw who it was he grabbed the sides of his head panting. "Oh thank god it's you Colonel."

"Who do you think it would be? I see you spent the chips well, really Eli a game?"

"First of all I remind you that I was shanghaied by a video game that ended me and

Everyone else here. But anyway I'm using the online gaming, that was very hard to find mind you, it's all underground networking and the government is not even watching it, it's like they are not afraid of hackers, which there aren't any that I could find. Well I have been testing the systems to see what I can do. Its wide open Colonel, I mean I can go anywhere and do anything."

"Okay Eli I'm glad you are using your free time wisely. Have you looked into what I asked you to do?"

"Yes I did and I can do anything you want me to do at any time, you just say the word."

"Well then show me what you got." He followed Eli around the room listening to him explaining what he has been doing.

Chapter 14

The return

Lieutenant Tamara Johansen lying on a bed in a hospital outpatient ward, staring at nothing in particular, she was just thinking back at the last several months. She had come to the alien world hoping to find a cure for ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease. Although the doctors here where hopeful like her, they as of yet where unable to cure the chronic condition, but they did manage to stall it, put it on pause one could say. All she would have to do is take the med they developed for her once a month. Apparently they know of a similar condition among a small percentage of their own populace, and that's all they have ever been able to do. They are giving me 5 years supply, which is its shelf life, and a way to synthesis it on my own. If I stop taking it, it becomes active again. I at least can live a long healthy life. Now that I know how to make it I can at least get it back to earth, so something good would come out of this. They did allow me to study with their medical students. The Nero implant helped her take in the lessons so much faster. I finished in six months what normally would have taken 3 years. That was amazing, it's like I knew the answer before the question was asked. The professor's said that was normal, and that I did know it due to the implant passive input. Apparently there is a doctor shortage in the outer worlds and they developed this way of education to speed up the education in many fields of studies. A low beep started sounding from the IV connected to a wall mounted pump next to her. Followed by the door opening and an alien in a white jump suit with a blue emblem in the middle of the chest area, she learned early in her visit that it is a symbol of one being a physician. TJ looks up at the face of the doctor. A pretty face, stern, but soft and kind. She did learn how to recognize the different faces of the Vormaylia race.

"Hello, Dr. Pkaluro."

"Good day to you MS. Johansen. How are you feeling today?"

"Much better, thank you, I have not had any adverse reactions in weeks."

"Your infusion seems to be done so you will be able to return to your ship whenever you are ready to. It has been most pleasurable to have you with us for the last few months, and you will be missed here. I hear that some of the staff are quite taken with you."

"Thank you again for all you have done for me and all the staff have been very kind as well, and yes some have asked me out so they could spend time with me. But I have always stated my heart is taken."

"So you have said. And I would also like to congratulate you in completing the medical program we have here. I have heard that you have one of the top scores in the medical certification exam. That is very impressive indeed."

"Thank you and I must say the program was helped along due to the implant that I have. They said it would translate the vid books, and I would retain the information much faster. I was... amazed, I knew the information before I even went to class. It felt like cheating."

"Well with all the different races from so many different worlds, if we did it the conventional way, it would have taken so long that one would be old and only be in practice a short time before they were too old to go on."

"My practice lession's I received from here will be no good back home, but it will help me tremendously on Destiny. We will finely have a doctor on board."

"I think you give yourself too little credit. The recommendations and history we received while you were on board ah... Destiny these last few years showed us that you were ready for this, and you proved yourself during your clinical reviews. We have learned as much from you as you have from us. So from us all, we thank you."

"Now you are being to kind."

"No, this is not so, you have shared your spare time with my wife and I and it was a gift to have you with us. It has brought many memories good and bad; you have helped us deal with our lost child, so our relationship is improving much every day. So for this we thank you."

TJ exit's the event horizon of the Stargate and steps onto the deck of Destiny for the first time in several months.

"Detail Aten-Hu." Sgt. Greer yelled, and an honor guard snapped to attention. Greer salutes TJ, and she returns the salute.

"What's going on Sgt.?"

At that moment Colonel Young marched up to her, turns and faces her. "Lieutenant Tamara Johansen welcome back aboard the Destiny."

"Thank you sir, buts what is going on?"

"Well for your accomplishments, command has seen fit." He pulled a box out of his breast pocket. "To promote you to Captain now that you are a doctor and the ranking medical officer onboard."

She smiles as he opens the box. "Where did you get those?"

"Among many other things we found after all the hull breaches were repaired, there was a fabrication shop and I had these made for the occasion." He reached forward and removed the Lt. Bar's from her collars, then replaced them with the Captain bars. Stepped back and saluted her. She returned the salute, and accepted his hand. "I am sure you are looking to get settled in, but you might want to stop by the med bay and take a look at the updates that have been done, and there will be a reception later on. You can give me a report in the morning. Enjoy yourself, you've earned it."

"Thank you sir."

"Sgt. Greer you may dismiss the detail please."

"Yes sir, detail dismissed." The military detail broke up and filtered out of the gate room.

TJ bent down to pick her bags up and found a males hand already there.

"Can I help you with that?" Varro said.

A gentleman but a warrior, not from earth, and once an enemy now part of the crew and she really missed him. "OK but I would like to stop by the med bay first."

"That's fine I'll walk with you."

The Two walked out of the gate room and headed towards the medical bay. "So what have you been doing with yourself?"

"Well Colonel Young has been having us help with security. He seems to be starting to trust us a little more, and it is very busy with all the repair crews on board. Oh and we all have our own quarters now."

"That's fantastic; I mean it's important for everyone to have their own space to get away from it all."

They walked by the control room where the Haronima Queen overseeing the repairs. The queen turned and looked at her for a moment, then turned back to the console in front of her. TJ thought that was a bit strange, it seemed like she was looking deep into my eyes. A few corridors later they walked into the med bay, well what she remembered to be the med bay. The walls were all white and it was so bright in here. Someone walked up to her from her left and she turned to them"

"Dr. Pkaluro What are you doing here?" TJ said in surprise with a smile of joy, and rapped her arms around him in a loving hug as like a daughter would do with a father.

"I have been granted the honor of refitting Destiny's medical facilities by the inter species medical board" He waved his hand over the room. "Some have been upgrades, but most have been a fascinating endeavor to understand, and learn from. We did locate another medical facility on another level, more of a surgical ward. This is more like a triage bay since it's close to the gate room."

"Why did you not tell me before when I was living with you all of this time." TJ walked up to a table in the middle of the room. "Is this what I think it is?" She said as she walked around the table and looked at him with a glow on her face.

"Well." He held out his hands at the table. "If you think it is an ultrasound multi directional magnetic three dimensional digital resolution scanning unit, new generation I might add, then yes it is what you think it is."

She finished walking around the table and turned to him. "This is all so… well thank you."

"You are welcome. So shall we finish the tour?" He said as he stretched his hand in the direction of the exit.

"Oh yes, I am looking forward to it." She followed him out of the bay.

Varro followed them, bags in tow knowing that now it will be a while before she gets to her quarters, but he knew this all ready.

Colonel Young sat in the command chair in the center of the bridge once again, just like he has done every day for the past few months. The repairs were progressing quicker than they had thought. What they have found in the newly opened areas of the ship is beyond amazing. He was still rapping his head around it all. All this time they were so close to everything they needed to survive, but no way to get to it. The damage had knocked out the power grids in those areas, and in doing so they had computer updates on what was there. For some reason the Alteran's didn't leave much information on what the rest of the ship was used for. Automated food processors, clothing fabricators, and much more. Everything that will make this ship self-sufficient. Well other then they will still need to find the basic things that those processors need to make their products, but that shouldn't be hard, so that's what the repair crews reported in the weekly updates.

"Sir we are receiving a hail from a cargo ship wishing to dock." Airman Holden reported interrupting his moment of thought. "It's Dale Volker sir. What should I tell him sir?"

Young turned to Rush to his left. "Rush, what is the status of the docking bay doors?"

"Just waiting for a test run on the retracting door gears." Rush responded.

"Well no time like the present." Young held out his hand to Rush. "Go ahead and lead them in."

"Yes Colonel." Rush Pressed a com button on his monitor. "Attention landing bay. Please clear the bay for outer port bay door opening. In 60 seconds."

"That's not much time to clear the bay Rush." Young said.

"The bay openings are protected by additional shields so the atmosphere will not escape the bay."

"Very good." Young nodded at him.

"Mr. Volker this Rush, Please proceed to the front of the forward cone, and the port landing bay will open promptly. Over?"

"Copy. Wait, did you say landing bay?"

"Yes I did. Now instruct your pilot to enter the bay when the door opens."

"Okay, over." The connection ended.

A cargo ship five times the size of the Destiny's shuttle, entered the port bay and turned then slowly landed on its landing struts. The engines shut down, then a door opened up and lowered down and Dale Volker walked out of the hatch and down the ramp. "Hello Greer long time no see. How you been?"

"Great, how did it go back on the planet?" Greer said.

"As well as can be expected. We have soil for the dome, and every plant we have will give us food." He pointed back at the ship with his thumb. "There are six more ships do in within the next few days with all the supplies we need to be self-sufficient in the growing area. And a lot of food supplies ready to eat."

"Sounds good, how about meat?"

"Yes there is a few containers full of steaks."

"Well then let's get you unloaded."

"Where did this bay come from anyway?"

"There is a lot of changes, so to make it easier Lisa made a recording for anyone to watch that explains all the updates. It's on the observation deck so you can overlook the ship. I'll guide you, there is still some construction going on along the way. But Destiny is about ready for a test flight soon."

"Lead on then." Volker said. And they walked out of the bay. He looked up at a row of small bays. "Are those…"

"Yep. Drones. For defensive action only. Found them here locked down. Brody is still studying them. He seems to be spending a lot of time up there in the control room of the bay. We can go there first if you'd like." Greer asked.

"Ok, sounds good. Do the drones exit out the bay doors?"

"No, Brody told me they have launch tubes they exit through, and return by a retrieval bay under the bay somewhere, that I have no idea where." They stopped at a lift. "Here we are." they stepped onto the lift platform. Greer pressed the top button of a set of four. The door closed.

"Top one is up bottom one is down I take it, but what are the other two for?" Volker asked.

The lift stopped, and the door opened back up. "Left, or right. Forward or backward, depends how you want to look at it. Then you use the small elevators, like the one Eli and Chloe found when the Alliance attacked us. This lift will take you all the way back to the back end of the ship, just press one of the number keys here on the right then the direction you want to go. It's the quickest way, but you can walk it, if you have time that is, it is a long walk. Everyone have been using it as a jogging track."

"I didn't see you press a number."

"If you don't it just moves one over or one up and down. Let's go see what Brody is up to today."

Chapter 15

Small things

"What happen?" TJ said as she entered the medical bay.

"It was an accident. We were in the cargo bay and some crates fell and he was pinned down." Lisa Parks responded. Her hands shaking from adrenaline. Her eyes were wide and still glowing slightly from the surgery on her eyes to return her sight from the damage done by the sun while refueling Destiny in a desperate move to outwit the drones from the previous galaxy. She was told it would be temporary. Another side effect was that she saw in what seems like high definition.

"How bad is it?" TJ said

"He's unconscious but stable."

"Well then let's cut his clothing away so we can see where he is injured. Grab a warm blanket from the warmer, we need to keep him warm so he doesn't go into shock." They began to cut his clothing away. TJ Then examined him. "He has some bruises along his left chest and on his arm. Role him carefully his neck hasn't been cleared yet."

"What's this on his neck? "

"It's a scar from a previous injury more than likely."

"I better scan his neck for injuries. Thank god they provided a portable scanner, but I have not tested it yet." TJ turned and reached for the hand held scanner about the size of a hard covered book with a label on the back that said property of ISME. It stood for Inter Species Medical Equipment and was provided by the Inter Species Medical Board as was much of the new equipment that took up much of the room here in this bay as in the triage room that she had used before the upgrades.

"No time like the present." Lisa said.

TJ moved the scanner over his head, then along his neck. "That's odd."

"What?" Lisa asked.

"There is a protrusion on his lower brain stem." TJ responded.

"Probably a part of their anatomy, we don't know much other than their fiscal appearances and they have one heart."

"I know more now after the schooling I received. Hold on it moved."

"Moved, what do you mean moved?" Lisa said as she leaned away worried that something may jump at her.

"Not much but it did move."

"Is it a tic or something?" Lisa asked

"I don't know."

"Should we remove it?"

"No we don't know enough. We'll ask Dr. Pkaluro when he gets here. Let's continue with the scan." TJ moved the scanner along the spin next, then his arms and legs. She then scanned his internal organs. When she was finished she pressed the send button at the bottom left the screen.

"What did that do?" Lisa asked.

"It uploaded the scans to the main computer so we can view it as a head to toe three dimensional hologram that is interactive." As she said this a hologram popped up in front of them. "There, see his arm is fractured and the 5th and 6th ribs are broken and look here this rib has punctured his lung. We will need a chest tube kit. Let's look at that protrusion shall we."

Dr. Pkaluro walks in and approached the patient looked over him, and then joined TJ and Lisa at the hologram. "What are we looking at?"

TJ extended her thumb and index finger and stopped at the protrusion and moved them away from each other, and the hologram zoomed in and the protrusion became larger, but now thanks to the scanner they see a small fat worm where the protrusion was.

"Ooo.. Disgusting, what is that?" Lisa said as she crinkled her nose.

"This is not a normal part of the cranial stem!" TJ stated.

"No it is not. It is a parasite used for information gathering." Said Pkaluro.

"I told you it moved." TJ said

"It moved?" Pkaluro said

"Yes, as I had the scanner over his neck observing it, it moved slightly."

"We need to remove it now." Pkaluro said.

"Why?" Lisa said

"They never move unless they are ready to move to another host."

"Host? That doesn't sound good." Said TJ

"How long has it been?"

"Oh I don't know 15 or 16 minutes. Why?"

"We must hurry. We only have a few of your minuets maybe less when it comes out, then its legs sprout and they move quickly to the nearest potential host."

"What do we need?" TJ said, she was now worried about this host issue

"Do you have ...how do you say... hard clear container."

"Class jar! Yes over here." TJ walks over to the lab desk and grabs a glass beaker. "Will this do?"

"Yes that is good. Now do you have a cover for it?"

"Oh! Of course yes here try this."

"Good. Now as it exits the neck use that knife and push it in this jar."

They see a bump under the skin

"Yes, now get ready. It's breaking the skin now."

"Yuck what's that green pus, infection?" Lisa said.

"No it is its protective sac." Pkaluro said. "There, it is out. Quickly now."

TJ scraps what looks like a short fat centipede with no legs into the beaker. Just in time to see six little legs sprout out of its sides two to each segment.

"Now the lid quickly."

Lisa puts the glass lid over the beaker.

"Now hold it there tight no matter what it does."

"What! What do you mean? What's going to happen?"

"It will not want to stay in there. It will move very fast for a while, but will tier soon, and become lethargic."

"O my god." Lisa screams as the bug slams into the lid and begins spinning around the base of the beaker in faster than normal pace.

"Wow do they always move that fast? Look at it go." TJ said.

"No only after it leaves the host."

"Did he allow someone to put that in him and why?"

"No, we do not use these to spy on others. We share our information freely but there are other races that do not trust others and use whatever they can do gather Intel as you say it."

"Look its slowing down." Lisa said.

TJ grabs her radio "Col Young we need you in the infirmary right away."

"Copy. How's your patient, is he ok?"

TJ looks at Dr. Pkaluro, he shakes his head back and forth "If the Shanti snail leaves the host on its own it releases a poison that paralyzes, and then the patient dies shortly after."

"Host! What's going on? I'm on my way. Greer this is Young meet me in the infirmary."

"Copy that Col."

Col Young enters the room. "So what's this about a host, I know it can't be Goa'uld, so talk to me."

"What's a Goa'uld?" asked Pkaluro

"I'll explain later I promise."

Greer walks in. "Col. is everything ok."

"I don't know yet. TJ what's that, and where did you get it."

"It's a. What did you call it?"

"A Shanti snail."

"Okay a Shanti snail. It was in his neck and it came out and with Dr. Pkaluro help, we captured it in this beaker."

"Well it couldn't have been too hard it looks like it's not too fast." Greer states with a smug face. Looking at Lisa.

"Believe me it was a lot faster before. We wouldn't have caught it if we were not ready for it." Lisa said.

"Why was it in his neck?" Young asked.

"It's a spy bug." Lisa laughs a little.

"This is no matter to take lightly." Pkaluro says staring at Lisa.

"Ok then why are you spying on us?" Young asked as he turned and faced Dr. Pkaluro.

"I assure you it was not us. There are many untrusting species. Even though we share free information, they believe we are hiding something. This has been going on for oh I do not know a few hundred years. It is because of them we had to develop defensive weapons and war ships to defend our space and our allies as you call them. They invaded us and killed millions, looking for information that we did not have and would have given freely to them, but we do have our ways to gather Intel. Not as barbaric, but affective."

" **That is not true."** **Luanestia said to Col. Young in his mind. "That is what they have been led to believe. I believe it is the** **Pownia that have done all that he has said."**

"And what have you learned, should we be worried? And who are those responsible?" Young asked him. Already knowing who and what they are.

"Not at this time I do not think so. But I most report this. We scan everyone that has access to ongoing projects regularly. He slipped through somehow."

"Did he know it was there?" TJ asked.

"We believe so, but our medical research has only proven that the Shanti controls the host in some way, and in doing so prevents diction. And it also secrets some enzyme and hormones that helps keep the host healthy and the life span is extended some but not much. That is how we discovered them. Some have lived to be twice the expected life span"

"How old will a host get?" She asked.

"We do not know this. They just have been found in the last fifty GD's."

"We have experienced that the older they get the more argent, and agressive they are."

"This is sounding all too familiar."

"Ya, creepy familiar."

"We have a parasite like this one in our galaxy but bigger. They enslaved worlds and set themselves up as gods for thousands of years. Long story short, we recently overthrew their rule and here we are." Young explained.

"This is why we share information. I can see the Shanti doing this if left unchecked."

"Well if your government is willing I would like a full report on them and any other info that may help protect us in the future. I don't like to be caught off guard. Let me know when you have something, and we will meet and go over it."

"I will do this for you when we are finish here. And we need to screen everyone aboard Destiny to make sure there are no more Shanti."

"Fine, I'll leave you to it." Young said.

"Yes Colonel, and I will meet with you as soon as I can."

Chapter 16

An old friend

Air Force Colonel Samantha Carter was on leave but never left SGC. She wanted to work on some new ideas she had while traveling between the Pegasus galaxy and the Milky Way. The Hammond, her current command, didn't give her the time to do the things she considered her first love. She was sitting at a work station she has always sat at in the early days of SGC. When everything was new and unknown. Lt. Ferguson was sitting at a station in the corner, gets up and starts for the exit. "Lunch time, you coming?"

"No thank you, I'm not hungry."

"Okay, I'll be back later." And she walks out.

"Ferguson," Sam watched her leave, and Sam thought to herself, "Is very smart and capable, but lacks the dedication to her work." Sam turns back to her station laptop, and continues working, the wheels turning in her head. There was a sudden bright flash behind her.

"Hello Samantha."

Carter turns suddenly, ending the turn in a defensive stance. "Oh my God, Orlin what are you doing here? And you said my name, you remember me. Oh you have your old body. What's going on Orlin? Wait how did you get here? You don't have clearance."

"I did not think to see you ever again myself, but some things have changed and they thought it would be better if I came since we have history."

"What has changed? And who are they? You're home administrators?"

"No, the others. I think it would be better if we talked with your commander also. It's General O'Neil is it not?"

"Yes it is. He is in his office at this moment, and I think he would love a distraction from the mound of reports he has to go over. Wait the others helped you remember who you are?"

"Yes, with their help I now know who I was, and what I have done, but I do not remember every anything. They said they needed me, and now I am part of them again."

Carter moves towards the door "Shall we."

Orlin moves forward and places his hand in Sam's shoulder.

A flash of light and they were standing in O'Neil's office. General Jack O'Neil was a cautious man, sarcastic, and likes to joke in a tense moment to try to lighting the mood, but when it comes to Alien contact they never understand the humor. He never even flinched when the flash of light came and went faster then he blinked. "Whatever or whoever it is just go away, I don't want anything to do with it."

"General, do you remember Orlin from P636, Velona."

"Oh Carter it's you, good timing I needed a break anyhow. Refresh my aging mind. Who is this again?"

"This is Orlin from Velona sir, where we found that weapon, well that Orlin here, helped the original inhabitants build, and he built that stargate in my basement that was a onetime use. He used it to go back to Velona to destroy the weapon because they thought we were not ready. Also he helped us stop the Ori's Prior Plague. He wishes to speak to you."

"I remember now, how did you get on the base without me knowing about it, and weren't a lot… smaller than the last time you were here, and lost your memories. Thank you by the way. Does the home know where you are? And that you're… bigger"

"He knows who he is sir."

O'Neil turns to Carter. "What, that he is thousands of year's old ascended being trapped in a 12 ... no 15, no again, was trapped in a 15 year old boy." He now looks back to Orlin. "And looking to us to hide you from them I presume. Carter you really need to work on a security system to warn us when an ascended being pops in to see us whenever they want to."

"Yes sir, I'll look into it." Sam smiling as she said this knowing Jack was just kidding. He knew it was impossible to detect them, ever.

Orlin looks at the two of them. "I am sure that will not be possible, so you may not want to waste your time with such a system."

O'Neil looks at him tilts his head to the right slightly. "Really! You think?" O'Neil grabs the reports that where in front of him, taps them on the desk, and puts them in the out bin. "So what is it that the Ancients wish to tell us?"

"You are about to receive some vital information, and we would like you to follow up with it, and you will benefit from this information greatly." He stopped talking.

O'Neil looks at him, waiting as if Orlin were about to continue. "But?" Jack finally said.

"But What?" Orlin responded.

"Are you telling me after all these years of your people arguing amongst your selves about whether to help us for any reason at all, you are just giving this information to us without a but?"

"Oh, I understand now. By assuring you follow up with the information, you will be continuing a long forgotten mission of ours, and one that you have already started. The continuing quest of looking for our technology we left behind, has led you there not us, but now that your presence is there, and blindly and carelessly have brought the ship at a point we need to nudge you in the right direction to return to the correct path."

"You are talking about Destiny aren't you?"

The phone on O'Neil's desk rings. The General looks down at the extension reading. "Well speak of the devil, the stone room is calling." He picks up the receiver, and pretends to care what whoever is on the other line is saying. "Ok, bring him to my office." He hangs up the phone. "Eli Wallis is here and wants to see me right away. Something to do with you I presume?"

"Most likely, also, when the time comes I will return and I may be of some use in helping you start treaty negations with the Lucian Alli **a** nce."

"Excuse me. A two part but? This just gets better and better. We've tried that and they still blame us for starting it and they are arrogant tyrants no better the Goa'uld. They enslave those they need and keep everyone else compliant using drugs, and kill those that oppose them like us for example."

"Yes well we may be able to help in convincing them there is a better way."

"Good luck on that." Said O'Neil sarcastically.

Chapter 17

The Rescue

A metallic knock echoed from the door. Varro had no idea who would be calling on him. The only one that cared where he was is TJ and she was exploring the newly renovated triage bay, and then will be taking a tour of the medical bay and surgery rooms that were found after the repairs on the hull where complete. Another knock sounded. "Come in." He said when the door opened Colonel Everett Young stood in the entrance. "Hello Colonel, a bit early for an inspection, so to what do I owe for this visit?"

"Well, a… I don't do room inspections on nonmilitary personnel, But if you want me to start now I can." He said with a smile.

"No need you already know everything I own, so come on in and tell me what's on your mind."

Young enters the room. "I have something very important to ask of you, and I'll understand if you say no."

"Sounds serious, doesn't hurt to ask so go ahead."

"We have four missing crewmen."

"What? Who?"

"Lt. Scott, Adam Brody, Camile Wray, and Natasha Volkov."

"Are you sure, I just saw Scott not more than an hour ago."

"I'm positive. That was a clone. And it's been here for a few months now. The Haronima Queen was able to identify clones by studying the brain waves of all the crew that have left then returned. Apparently she can read brain waves passively, its second nature for her race. They use it to set up communication with their children and she also can set it up with others. Like me."

"You are talking with her now?"

"No, I can turn it off when I want privacy."

"Maybe you are just thinking you are hearing her, and…"

"No it's true. Eli knows and Chloe can verify that Scott is not who he seems, and there is the Queen herself. Go talk to her then come see me ok, and if you want to give Luanestia permission to speak to you using your mind, then you can talk to her. But please keep all this to yourself she is afraid that the Pownia guard's may find out her secrets. And have her and her children killed."

"Why is she just telling us now, and does she know you were going to tell me?"

"Yes she does, and she knows why. As for why now, well she had a hard time trusting us until she was sure we could be trusted." He walked out then turned and said. "Thank you for your time." He pushed the button and the door closed leaving Varro alone.

So now Varro finds himself sitting quietly on a rock staring into the hot coals of the diminishing fire deep in thought. He had found an alcove in a ravine that would hide the light from the fire. Here he was on an alien world in a galaxy billions of light years from home trying to get to a set of coordinates given to him by an alien. He was to meet someone there that can get him by the security into a secret interrogation base that was said to be holding the missing Destiny crew members. The mission started with three members, himself, one of his own people and a soldier from the Tau'ri. Dropped off by a stealth ship provided by an unknown party. An impressive ship, small and fast. They had dropped out of hyperspace outside the system cloaked, and worked their way through the outer planets to the second one. It didn't look like much, there was no information on the planet. It was like it didn't exist, but there it is right where the data pad said it would be. The pilot who never made contact with them came in on the other side of the planet were the base was and moved fast to 100 km from the first outer security systems. It lowered the ramp under the underside of the small assault ship, and a rush of dry air filled the cramp space that held the rescue party. The ramp was just a meter above the ground. That pilot was good he thought to his self. It was a rough terrain, but that was the easy part, avoiding the wondering Pownia was the difficult part. As we watched them it was noted that they were hunting, and they were hunting intelligent beings imported from who knows were. They run them down then rip them apart. At 10 km out they ran into one that disappeared right in front of them, then grabbed Foreland, ripped out his throat then came at me but, Airman Jeffries had pulled his gun and shot it in the back of the head. Only to lose his life 2 hours later falling into a ravine, and braking his neck. So here he sat alone, no back up, and a deadly enemy everywhere with his destination one of their secret bases were the last Intel indicated that the missing crewmates are being held. As he continued to look into the deep yellow and orange coals his senses told him something was right behind him. With his right hand already on his knife quickly pulled it from its sheath, and with one swift move, stood and twisted to his left , then thrusting the blade up and forward until it meet resistance, but continued pushing until it wouldn't go any further. He heard a gasp then a gurgle as another Pownia appeared in front of his eyes. He stared into its black eyes watching them as they fade and the creature falls from his grasp. Blood flowing from the fatal wound just inflicted to its mid chest. As it laid there at his feet Varro noticed again that it was a young Pownia. "What was going on here? Why are they sending them out so young to guard the boundaries of the base?"

"They are on their final hunt that will bring them to their adult status."

Varro spin's around and confronts the voice in a defensive stance. At first he saw nothing then a figure appeared sitting on a rock to the right of the fading flames. It was another Pownia an older one. But it did not attack him it just sat there with his hands held out to the fire warming them. "Who are you?"

"I am Vlakmen, I was with the group that was on Destiny when Colonel Young and the others woke up."

"I read the report. No one has seen or heard from you. So where have you been?"

"I was transferred back to my home world but was diverted her to this base for debriefing. I would have liked to stay and helped Dr. Tta'nal with his research, but it was not to be. I was interrogated for weeks. They wanted to know everything that I had observed during the short time aboard Destiny, and with your people. They were very interested in the Stargate and its strategic platform capabilities."

"So now you are a spy for them?"

"They let me go and I returned to my home to recover from the ordeal, but what they did not know is that I am part of a group that are." He paused. "Not like are wild brothers."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"We do not kill or eat any sentient beings. Let alone hunt them. We are few but we are there, and they tolerate us as long as we keep to ourselves. None such as us hold any seat of power, and if they did they were removed, then imprisoned or killed."

"So if you're not planning on trying to killing me, then what, if I may ask are you doing here? Specifically, right here with me."

"Yes, well right to it then. While I was here I overheard talk of replacing some of your people for when it was time to take over Destiny. I made contact with some allies, and found out that your people are being held here for study, that may include dissection. I arrived a few days ago and scouted around to find the best way to get you in to the base undetected."

"So you are who I am to meet then? Why didn't young tell me?"

"No, and I told him not to. I need to keep a low profile. Someone is coming now, that will be your contact. I must leave so not to scare them off. I will see you soon, the Haronima Queen that is held here knows of me and will fill you in on the plans. Good luck." He reached to a device on his hip, and pressed a button and he vanished.

"Thank you, I guess. I thought your people could do that naturally, I saw you activate it." Varro said. "It would help if I had one of those."

"We do, but this device is to cloak me from my own people. I will see what I can do." said a voice from nowhere.

Varro waited for his contact to show themselves, He knew they were there, they were not very stealthy in the approach. He could see them now, just on the edge of the glow of the hot cools. "Welcome, why don't you join me, and warm yourselves." He waved his hand to the fire. They moved closer, hesitated then came in and sat down, very nervous looking. "So what are two One'amia workers doing out this way? I see nothing here to fix."

They look at each other. "We are here to meet you and guide you to the base safely. Our mother is looking forward to meeting you, but we must put out the fire and be on our way. More Pownia may be searching the area soon, so please hurry and follow us."

"Very well then." Varro said and stood pushed sand over the coals with his boot to smother them and hide it. "Let's go." He said when he was finished. "After you, take me to your Queen."

They laid on the ground overlooking a hill at an entrance to the lower level of the base's waste management tunnel. The smell was noxious, and was burning his lungs making it hard to breath. One of the One'amia reached into his bag that he had pulled off his back and pulled out some sort of mask. "Here, we were told you would need this."

Varro put the mask on. "Ah." he took a few deep breaths. "That's better, thank you." He continues watching the scene bellow through his binoculars. "So how are we going to get past those?" Varro indicated a group of five four legged creatures about the size of a large dog with large razor sharp looking teeth.

"It will be no trouble, for they are no more than scavengers feeding on what is deposited at the base of the shaft, they will run off as we approach." They got up and started down the hill, so Varro followed and the other One'amia followed him. As they came nearer the creatures looked up and saw them walking toward them and they ran off just as he said. The smell worsened as they entered the shaft.

"How far in do we need to go?"

"Far, so we need to keep moving."

"What about guards or patrols, I can't believe that we can just walk in and not be noticed."

"Mother will guide us to your people."

"Mother? You mean your Queen?"

"Yes she is also called that, but she is our mother."

"I see, well she's talking to you so lead the way." They pushed forward, turned left and walked up an incline to a junction with many smaller tunnels with a lot of debris, most he didn't want to think about. There was a ladder in the far corner and the lead One'amia started climbing it, then stopped at the top waited then opened the hatch.

"Come this way, and from here on out you must be quite." He move up into the room above.

Varro climbed up through the hatch, and found himself in a maintenance room. He walked over to the door on the right, pressed his head to the door. "There are voices on the other side." He whispered.

"I said be quite, just follow us when we say go."

Varro looks at him sharply, and after a moment he nodes his head in agreement, then just stands there waiting for the word to go.

"Mother tells me that she now has all the security cameras in sink, so when we go we will be moving fast just behind the rotation." He looks down as if listening. "Now, we must go now mother said, follow me and keep close." He opened the door and moved quickly to the left and down the hall Varro kept on his six.

They moved down hallways many rights and lefts, and some ducking into rooms to wait. It seemed like an hour when his guide entered a room and said. "We are here, they have left the lab to feed."

Varro looked around and saw four pods. He walked over and looked into the nearest and saw Camile Wray looking sound asleep. It was hard to believe that this woman is full of fire for a civilian. He left her and inspected the other pods, there was Mr. Brody, Lt. Scott, and he saw an empty pod. "Where is Natasha Volkov?" He said.

"I do not know, wait." He looks down, then turns his head to the right. "She is in that room, but she is no longer of any concern."

"What do you mean? I'm here for all of them." He walked to the door, but the One'amia stepped in front of him. "Out of my way, I am going in there!"

"She said to not let you in there. They have been running experiments, and she is gone. These three need your help now."

Varro looks at him and then at the door to the room. Stared at the door, then looked back at him, turned around and looked at Scott. "So how do we get them back to Destiny?"

"Mother says we need to revive them. You will need a pilot to leave the planet."

"A pilot? What do you mean?"

"You will be taking many others with you and there is a cargo ship that my brothers are prepping now. The Pownia have no idea yet what's going on, and when the time comes we will create a diversion to help you escape."

"Cargo ship? How many are we talking about?"

"All of the Haronima Queen's daughters."

"How many does she have?"

"She? Oh, no I miss spoke. All Queens have only one daughter at a time. They are the daughters of every Haronima Queen left that the Pownia have held in servitude to them. They are in sleep pods like these, and are kept here to keep them in control to do there biding."

"Enslaved you mean. How long has it been this way?"

"Hundreds of years. And you are going to put an end to it to save us and every race in this Galaxy. Enough of this talk we need to continue with what you are here for." He walked over and stood in front of Lt. Scott's pod control panel. He started pressing icons on the display, then stood back.

Matt was cold and sensed his surroundings as he came awake and heard talking. "How long is this going to take? If what you're mother said is true then we may not have much time before they come back to continue what they started." The voice sounded familiar. His head was still foggy, but it sounded like Varro. So I'm back on Destiny then. His vision cleared, and he gasped as he looked around. "Varro? What's going on? Where are we? I know this isn't Destiny." He stood up and fell to the floor when his legs gave out. "What's wrong I can't move my legs?"

"Take it easy Lieutenant, you have just been revived from a hibernation chamber and your legs are still stiff from the process." The One'amia said. He and Varro lifted him up and placed him in a chair nearby. "There, sit here while we revive the others."

"Yes now I remember seeing others before they put me back under. How many of us did he take?"

"Who do you mean he?"

"Representative Silaviea. He was the one that was there when I woke up the first time. Wait, how's Chloe, did he take her to? Is she here?"

"No she is safe, and back on Destiny." Varro said. "You will see her soon, but right now Scott I need you to stay focused. We will be needing your help flying us out of here. Do you think you can do that for me?"

"Yes of course, what do you need me to do right now _?_ "

"Just sit and wait, he will tell us when it's time to go." Varro left Scott to himself, and walked over to the One'amia operating the chamber controls. "How much longer?" As Varro ask as Camile Ray woke up screaming. He ran to her placed his hand over her mouth. "Camile stop you are okay but you must be quiet."

Camile's eyes were wide with fear. She remembered being taken from her room at the hotel they had woke her up as they placed a rag over her face. She had no idea where she was, but recognized the face looking at her now and culmed down. He removed his hand from over her mouth. "Varro? What's going on, and where are we?" there was a commotion to her left, and she and Brody thrashing his hands in front of his face as if something was attacking him.

"What the hell?" he said as he came alert to his surroundings. He saw Scott. "Scott what's going on? I remember someone jumping me outside my room as I shut the door."

"All will be explained in time Mr. Brody." Varro said. "But for now just do as I say we are not out of this yet."

"Varro? You to?"

"No I was sent to retrieve you all. Just be ready to move out fast."

"Varro there was one more." Scott said. "Natasha Volkov, I saw her when I woke up. Where is she?"

Varro turned and looked at the door then looked back at Scott. "She is no longer with us. Forget her."

Scott stood up and went for the door. "What do you mean not with us?" he grabbed the handle and turned it."

"Stop do not go in there." One of the One'amia said suddenly. "We do not have time for what you will find." He turned his head to the side. "They are coming, two of them. It is all over. He grabbed the sides of his head and began pacing. His two brothers sat down and rocked back and forth.

"Well they are no help now. Scott get that side of the door." He pointed at the entrance. "He said there are only two, so grab them after they enter. Knock them out fast before they disappear."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just do it Scott." They moved into position. The door handle turns, they hear them talking. The door opened, and two Pownia walk in. Varro grabs the second one and twisted his head and he fell to the floor. Scott holds on to the first one. "Scott do it."

"This is a Pownia I want answers."

"No time." He raised his gun and came down hard on the Pownia's head crushing it, the Pownia dropped to the floor dead.

"There was no need for that." Scott said.

"Yes it was."

"I need answers." He walked back to the door to the back room and opened the door and entered.

Scott stood standing at the door afraid to take his hand of the handle in shock at what he was seeing. Varro entered and stood beside him. "Well I never saw that coming." He moved further into the room. Camile entered and gasped, and covered her face. "Oh my god!"

There in the center of the room surrounded by monitoring units and surgical instruments laid Natasha Volkov her body cut open and all her insides exposed to the air, her skull remove and her brain visible to all to see. Her face was there untouched looking as if asleep.

"She is still alive." Varro said. "Look, her heart, it is still beating. They are studding her body functions."

Camile found her voice again. "We can't just lever her like this."

"Well we can't taker her with us. Not like that, and it would kill her if we remover her from the support system. The only human thing to do is to end her life now." Varro said.

"Dear god, why would they do this?" Brody said as he walked in.

"Mr. Brody if you are up to it, can you see if you can access one of the computers and find out what they are looking for."

Suddenly there was a bright light where Natasha's body was. "They are looking for why they cannot control your mind." A voice said coming from were Natasha face was.

"What the hell." Said Brody. Where did her body go, and who or what is that speaking."

"It's an ascended being or Alteran is what they were." Said Camile. "But what are you doing so far away from the Milky Way? I didn't know you could travel all this way, and where is Natasha?"

"I will answer, but there is not much time. Natasha died during the attack on the Icarus base. I had been monitoring your progress to see if you were able to decipher the code, and when Eli arrived and broke the code I had wondered how I was going to go with you without you discovering me if the mission moved forward to the next stage. I used Natasha's form to insert myself into the evacuation, and I have been with you all along."

"All this time and you never stepped in to help us?" Scott asked. Still taken back by the bright light with a face in the middle. It had many stringing lights flowing from it in all directions. If he didn't know better he would have thought it to be an angle.

"I am not allowed to. Even though I did want to, I just could not."

"Why now?" Camile said. "I mean why show yourself now."

"When they took me and brought me here I wished to see why, and when I found out I could not leave the rest to suffer the fate that I might have had if I were human. I miss lead them all the way, but it was a matter of time before they started again on someone else. So I knew of the One'amia Queen's ability to communicate with others of their kind, and."

"What? I didn't know this, she never told me." Varro said.

"Yes. Anyway I talked with the Queen that is here on this base and she agreed to help, but only if we removed all the daughters of the Queens that are being held in stasis here, and get them to safety. I agreed knowing what type of people the Tau'ri are, and here you are." She hovered over a panel. This is where they store all the data they have collected, you must destroy it Mr. Brody. There is one more thing before I go. In another lab there is one more stasis chamber that you must take with you and all that data there as well. The One'amia worker here knows where and will take you there. Good luck I do not know if we will meet again." Then she floated away through the ceiling.

"So that was an ancient then?" Varro said. "I never thought I would ever see that."

"Neither did we." Said Scott.

"Done." Said Brody. I deleted all the files on this station with his help." He indicated the One'amia beside him. "But they may be able to recover the data somehow later. I just don't know."

"I'll just have to make sure then." Varro said as he opened the pack that he had been caring. He pulled out a device that looked like an explosive.

"That may bring some unwanted attention Varro." Scott said.

"It's a small EM explosive only no noise. It will destroy all the electrical and data in this room."

"That's not SGC Issue."

"No it was given to me in rout here."

"Mother say's we must leave now." The One'amia worker said.

"You all hear him it's time to go." Varro said. They all filled out of the room, then stood at the door waiting for the One'amia to give the word to exit the room.

"When we leave we will be going left then down the hall four doors then enter a room on the other side. There will be one lab technician, you will need to eliminate her quickly."

"Her?"

"Yes a female Pownia." He hesitated then. "Now." He opened the door and they all followed him out.

The door opens and Varro enters the room and moves swiftly to the technician at the monitoring panel to the right and grabs her as she turned to them. Shock and disbelief in her eyes like she recognized him. But that was impossible so he ignored the feeling. The others had finished filing into the room. And watched as Varro twisted her head and she collapsed to the floor her eyes still open and here neck broken.

"There was no need to kill her was there?" Camile said as she bent to her knees and closed the Pownia female's eyes. "I just will not ever understand you military types with the need to kill."

"Yes there was. You have not seen what they can do and how ruthless they are." Varro said in a chastising tone.

"The females do not possess the ability to vanish." The One'amia worked leading the group said. "But she still needed to be eliminated all the same."

"Fine time to inform me of that bit of information."

"It would not have changed anything." He walked over to a panel next to a dark stasis chamber, and activated it. The light came on and the group stood looking at a beautiful human women with long black hair and olive skin.

"Who is she? She is definitely not part of Destiny's crew."

"She has been here for many hundreds of your years. She was the sole survivor of a ship that had crashed on a planet along the Pownia disputed space with the Benou. It was they who had come upon the sight, but when the Pownia heard of it they drove them off with a large show of force. The Pownia were not about to let them find some technology that would give them the upper hand with the war that always on the verge of breaking out."

"Could this be an ancient that has never ascended?" Camile said.

"I don't think so." Brody said. "You need to look at this." They all walked over and looked in to a glassed cabinet that he was looking into "Are those what I think they are?"

Scott knew exactly what they were, after training with them in the SG boot camp. "Stop, whatever you do, do not release her from stasis."

"Why not Lt. Scott, is she not one of you?"

"We don't know what she is yet. I would rather leave her here, but we have to take her with us, but can we leave here in stasis?"

"Yes, but what is the problem?"

"Those are Jaffa staff weapons in that cabinet along with zat guns and Goa'uld hand instruments. So can we keep her in stasis until we figure out what's up. Brody get over here and download all the files about her. Varro do you have any more of those EM 's?"

"Yes I do, but first I would like to get this open to see if the weapons still work. We could be needing them to get out of here."

"Good idea." Scott said, then looked at one of the One'amia workers. "Can you help us here?"

"Yes I will try to unlock it."

"So how much time do we have?" Scott asked the other One'amia.

"Mother is saying we need to keep moving to the landing bay." He said as he pulled out the stasis pod and laid it on a hover table. Then strapped it down.

""How long will she stay in stasis when not plugged into a power source?"

"Many days. They have internal power that will keep the systems going."

"Good. Mr. Brody how you doing?"

"Almost done, I still don't know if we can access the data back on Destiny."

"It doesn't matter right now." Scott said. He heard a click and turned as Varro was reaching into the cabinet and pulled out a staff weapon. He then leveled it and pressed the button on the side of the back handle and the tip opened up with the typical zap that a staff makes indicating it was ready to be fired. "Great they still have power. Everyone take one and check it for power."

Camile lifted a zat gun and stared at it in confusion. Varro looked at her then took it from her. Opened it checked it for power then handed it back to her. "Just aim it then press here." He indicated the trigger on the hand grip where her hand was holding the zat gun. "One hit stun's them, two kills them." He picked up a zat for himself, thought about it then took a staff also. "You never know." He smiled and looked sideways at Camile. She sighed and walked around him. "Military!" Let's get going."

They stopped in front of a round hatch. The lead One'amia pressed the switch on the left and it opened in a circular motion upward. They filed in to the room on the other side, then the hatch closed. "Now what?"

"Through that hatch at the other side of the room is the docking bay. When mother gives the word that will be our time to go. By then all the pods will be loaded and safe to go, there will be no one in the bay for a short time."

"Okay then, we sit tight for now. I have a few questions." Scott said to the leading One'amia. "How am I supposed to pilot a ship that I don't know and can't even read the controls?"

"There is no reason to worry Lt. Scott." A voice said from the dark corner of the room, then a Pownia appeared and walk toward him. All of their weapons came up and pointed at him.

"Who the hell are you? Wait, Vlakmen. You're Dr. Vlakmen. Are you part of this?"

Vlakmen looked at Varro. "I am a friend."

"What? And we are just supposed to trust you?"

"He's right Scott." Varro said. "He is the one who lead me to you."

"Yes that is right I am trying to get you back to Destiny."

"Why?" Scott asked. "It was your people that took us."

"Yes my people, but yet not my people. As I have told Mr. Varro here I belong to another faction that is not violent." He said.

An alarm sounded. "Now is not the time. The bodies in the labs have been discovered." The One'amia said. "We need to move to the ship now." He opened up the hatch to the hanger, and moved to the right and towards the ramp leading into the cargo bay of the ship. As he reached to bottom of the ramp a red laser bolt slammed into his chest, and he dropped to his knees. Three Pownia had entered the hanger from the opposite end and opened fire on them already knowing they did not belong here. The group returned fire with the Jaffa weapons they had obtained from the lab. Camile knelt beside the wounded One'amia. "No do not worry about me all of you need to board and take off. That is the mission, and all that matters. If you do not all is lost, and this was for nothing, go now." He took her Zat gun from her and opened fired on the Pownia, he waved her and the others away.

"Thank you." She got up and led the others aboard.

Varro closed the hatch and turned to find Scott, but saw he was already heading across the bay following the other One'amia leading him to the bridge. He helped Brody securer the pod holding the unknown women. Then began looking over all the other pods in the bay. He looked in through the pod glass and saw a very young Haronima Queen. He looked up and saw several One'amia in the corner hovering over another young Haronima Queen, but this one was not in a stasis pod. He walk over and the workers stepped in front of him to bloke his way.

"Who is she?" he said.

"She is our new Queen." They all said at the same time. "Our old Queen is giving of herself to help us get her to safety. So please leave her be for now she will talk when she is ready."

Varro just stared at her. "Fine but stay out of the way." He turned and headed to the bridge.

Scott entered the bridge and sat down in the pilot chair. "How the hell am I going to know what knobs do what?"

"There, press that button." Vlakmen said as here appeared next to him in the copilot chair. "It is an upload key that uploads your written language from the VMTD behind your ear. So you will be able to read the controls and get us out of here.

"Where did you go when all the shooting started?" Scott as he looked over the controls looking for the engine start up."

"Oh I was busy setting a few surprises for our friends when we leave." He told Scott. "About that, we should be going."

Scott flipped a few switches then pressed an icon on the screen in front of him, and there was a rumble and the engines roared to life. He grabbed the head set hanging to his left put them on, and pressed the mic "Everyone hold on." He said, then took the yoke, pushed a lever forward next to the throttle. The ship landing struts lifted up into the ships under side. The ship hovered there waiting. Scott pulled the throttle back, and she moved forward and out of the landing bay. "I would have thought the blast doors would have closed." He looked at Vlakmen, and he saw what might have been a smile. There were several small explosions coming from the hanger visible via the rear video monitor in the middle of the console. Then the hanger was engulfed is a massive explosion, and spreading quickly to the rest of the base. "You're doing I take it?"

"Yes, and that takes care of any problems from that direction. You might want to pick up speed Lieutenant. There is a 1000 meter drop at the end of the landing platform, and the hoover lifters are only good with a hard surface under it no greater than 50 meters."

"I have throttle all the way already." The edge was getting closer fast. Scott started pulling back on the joystick. "It's not lifting." The edge passed underneath them, and the ship dropped hard strait down at a slight angle with the nose still facing the sky. Alarms going off with a male voice saying 'warning upward motion has ceased' in English. Scott saw a red flashing icon on the top right corner of the screen it said afterburner. He pressed his finger to it and the ship leaped forward and started climbing the alarm's stopped 'upward motion has resumed' the voice said. "Wow that's was close."

Varro stepped through the door, and sat in the chair behind Scott. "What's going on I almost broke my neck falling back down the stairs back there."

"Everything's good now, a little hairy there for a second, but we're good."

"Good, you had me worried there when I went flying backwards. So Vlakmen what's the plan now?"

"There is the station in orbit that we have to avoid. Their support fighters are very fast and will already know we are coming. Just get by it. I am going to set the coordinates to where we will be able to get our bearings. It will take a few minutes to enter them. There are a few way points. And we need to unload the stasis pods to get them to safety."

"Like where would that be?" Varro asked."

"I have some friends who will get them to where they belong."

"The Benou! You mean the Benou don't you?"

"Yes I do. I have been working with them for some time now. It was their support ship that delivered you to the planet to retrieve your people. And we plan a few surprises for the Pownia back at Destiny."

They sat quietly facing each other. "And does Colonel Young know about this change of planes?"

"Yes he knows everything and about all the lies the Pownia have spread to bend all the races policies to their will."

"Ok then what's the name of this ship that is delivering us from our prison?" As they left the upper atmosphere and into space, Scott looked hard and found the station way in the distance."

"No name just a designation number."

"The scanners are reading 14 small ships heading our way, most likely fighters."

"I agree, but you need to avoid them."

"Are there and defensive weapons on this tub."

"No, but the shields are well built and will hold. Just keep going, I am almost done."

"Well, as the Captain of this new commandeered tug boat I would like to call it the Natasha Volkov." The fighters were upon them now the ship rocked back and forth from the blast's from the lasers hitting the shields. "Shield's holding but will not hold forever. Whenever you are ready Vlakmen."

"There, we are set." He pressed the first way point icon and a hyperspace window opened up in front of them and they jumped through it leaving the fighters firing at empty space.

Chapter 18

Foiled again

Eli Wallace sits staring down at a bowl of oatmeal that was given to him at the lunch line. He real doesn't like oatmeal but that's all they had this late in the morning. He had been up all night finishing all the tapes of Dr. Jackson explaining the Stargate history. Not much to do aboard a starship traveling through hyperspace after all. They didn't want him to return to his own body back on Destiny yet, at least not for now. They would like to have him along to see what he discovered back on Destiny pans out, whatever it is; they are taking it very serious. Something to do with a ZPM. Jackson talked about it a lot. Some sort of ancient power source. The photos on the tapes showed exactly what he saw in the research file that the ancients uploaded to Destiny's massive files.

"A hum…"

Eli jerked his head up at the sudden noise. There in front of him sat two beautiful women. One on the left, a short young lady with blonde hair pulled back in a bun small noise and small perky lips. The one on the right also blonde but hair is loose hanging down to her shoulders. "Oh hello Commander Carter." Eli said to the women to the right.

"Good morning Eli, long night?"

"A… ya, movie night and all. I found a very interesting series about a big round ring." Eli held his arms up in a circle. "That connects a wormhole to another ring on another planet far, far, far away."

"Well Daniel is a bit long winded when he gets to talking about the Stargate program. That's why they taped him the last time; you should have seen his response when they told him."

"I heard it was epic." Said the lady to the left. "I wish I was there."

Eli looked at the young officer. "And you are?"

"Eli meet Lt. Jennifer Hailey. Lt. This is Eli Wallace." Carter said

Hailey stretched her hand out to Eli. "Glad to meet you Eli, and yes I know about the communication stones."

"Great, someone else that knows all about me." Eli holds his hands up in surrender, and leans back in his chair.

"I meant no disrespect; I am impressed with what you have accomplished, with everything you have faced. I am looking forward to see what you do next."

"It's alright I am getting used to it. Speaking of what's next, Commander Carter I have an Idea to discuss with you about gate travel."

"Please call me Sam. What is it you need to talk about?"

"Well… Sam, one of the video tapes talked about you and this Ba'al guy."

"Ba'al was a system lord, and a Goa'uld."

"Ok, well you reprogramed the Stargates to all open simultaneously, and also General O'Neil had the ancients knowledge uploaded into his mind and then he built a power device that boosted the power to the stargate allowing him to dial an 8 chevron address, and when he went through, SG1 lost control of shutting down due to the gate drawing power from the other end."

"Yes that's right, that was the Asgard home world in their galaxy, and they removed the ancient knowledge and saved his life."

"Ya... well in Destiny's data base there is all the addresses from all the Stargates in all the galaxies it's been through. What if we program Destiny's gate to dial some of the gates back along its path drawing power from them, all the way back to earth."

"Having the wormhole drawing power from the stargates would possibly reduce the power needed to dial a specific address in a distant galaxy. Amazing theory and you got this all from watching Daniels tapes."

"Well not exactly, it was more this and that, I just connected the dots. I remembered a phrase that Franklin said."

"What was that?"

"On the first planet we went to find the lime we needed to fix the CO2 scrubbers. Curtis, Palmer, and Franklin wanted to check out the other gates that Destiny locked out. He said maybe there's a way to use the gate system to connect the dots. Greer shot Franklin, and the other two went through, and without the remote that we had, they couldn't get back. So I connected the dots."

"Sounds like we have a program to…"

"All hands prepare to drop into normal space."

"Looks like we're here. We'll have to continue this later. If you're finished lets go see if this last location yields anything interesting." They all stand up.

"I'll meet you there I would like to change this shirt."

"Okay but don't be late." Sam leaves the cafeteria. Eli and Lt. Hailey follow but Eli turned left and headed for his quarters.

The Hammond and earths newest battle cruiser the Abraham Lincoln exited hyperspace just on the edge of the last coordinates given by Eli Wallace. The first two where a dead end, both had gone nova centuries ago. "This one appears to be an M red giant class type star. "Let's scan the system and see if there is anything of interest."

"Not detecting any planetary bodies. Some small moon size asteroids, and an asteroid belt further out, but nothing yet indicating anything out of the ordinary."

"Okay then, open a channel to the Lincoln."

"Yes sir."

"Wait." The Asgard said. "I am detecting a power signature." He stopped.

"Well is it a big secret?"

"No of course not. I am just trying to locate it. There, I have it. It is located in the northern pole of the star."

"The star? Are you sure it's not just an energy signal from a solar flare?" Daniel Jackson asked as he viewed the screen standing behind the Asgard.

"No it is not. I am scanning the area now. There is a structure in that location. More than likely a space station of a sort."

"That must be what the ancients were working on; it was all there in the data base on Destiny. But why in the star? What could they want by doing that?" Eli asked.

"I think I have an idea what it is they were trying to do. Lt. is there any way to get on to that station?" asked carter.

"Unless we have the shield frequency, no."

"Well I guess we just sit here until we think of something, because I think we really need to get on that station."

Everyone on the bridge sat or stood just staring at the star on the forward screen. They did not notice the flash of light behind them in the corner. "Maybe this will help."

"Everyone turned in the direction of the statement.

"Orlin! I wondered when you were going to show up."

"How did you know I would be here?"

"Oh I just connected the dots." She looked over at Eli and smiled. Eli looked back at her grinning.

"I do not understand the statement." Orlin said

"Never mind that right now. You said this may help. What do you have?"

"The shield frequency to the station." He handed a paper from the note pad that he had taken from the airman at the station next to him. Sam looked at the airman, and saw him nod.

"That will help a lot. Lt. Evens assemble a detail. We are going over there." Then she saw Orlin disappear. "Great, Why do they do that?"

A flash of blueish light and a low winning sound appeared lighting up a dark room that has not been lite up for eons, showing stacks of cases. Commander Carter stood there with her P90 light sweeping the room along with four airmen from the Hammonds security detail, they also swept the room. "Spread out and secure the room." Carter stated. They spread out and searched the room.

"Clear." She heard, and then. "Clear." Then another "Clear." But the fourth said. "I have a hatch door over here, and I feel a vibration on the door. Something is running on the other side."

"Okay then." She clicked her radio. "Hammond, this Carter, we're all clear down here, start sending the team's down. Oh and have them bring down some portable light's, its dark down here, surprising giving where we are." Then she went to the hatch and placed her hand on the metal. "Defiantly something running on the other side." She searched the door frame with here light. "The hatch is round, there must be a reason. I don't see a door handle."

Eli appeared in the middle of the room bathed in the same bluish light as the first team, along with more security. "Wow it is dark." Eli said as the airman began setting up the portable lights. "Hay that looks like a Destiny hatch." Eli said.

"Really, then how do you open it?" Carter asked.

"Press the mechanism there on the right." Eli said.

"Really? It seems to be a little far from the door."

Eli walked up and pressed the activation button. And the hatch rolled to the left to reveal a larger room all lit up with automated conveyer belts. "See." He looked out into the room. "Wow this is different. Is that a robot? That really looks like a robot caring a... what is that?"

"That's a ZPM, and it looks like it has a full charge." Carter said as the robot walked by, with a glowing crystal shaped devise. "I thought so. This is a ZPM manufacturing station." They watched the robot roll over on for wheel's to a station with one of the cases they found in the previous room, and placed the ZPM on to foam like material in the case next to two more ZPM's. Then closed the case, picked it up and carried it over and placed it on a pallet with eight more cases. And behind that was a pile of more cases in a room just like the one behind them. They all turned and looked in the room they had just beamed into.

"That may be a lot of ZPM's" Jackson said.

Carter grabbed her radio. "Hammond this is Carter, lock on to the crates in the room we beamed into and transport them to a cargo hold available to you. Oh and have the Lincoln do the same."

"Copy that Hammond out."

The robot was rolling up to them and started passed them when it stopped paused then pivoted its metal head in their direction.

"Please identify!" It stated with a computer generated voice that no one understood.

Jackson stepped forward to within a few feet of the robot. "I think its Alteran." He then began to talk to it in Alteran but slowly due to he was trying to remember the words and he did not know all he needed to converse in the ancient language. As he continued exchanging with the robot everyone just stood there watching.

"Daniel? What is it saying?" Carter asked.

"Oh... ah... "He looked back at her. "Sorry. It is Alteran, and it's asking who we are. It knows we are not Alteran, but we look like them but we are not them. They stopped coming a long time ago but the robots continued doing what they were made to do."

"Robots... there are more?" Eli said. "Where are they, I see only this one."

"I am the last unit. The others stopped functioning long ago. I scavenged parts to keep this unit operational, but this unit has reached its limits and also will soon stop functioning."

They all looked at the robot in shock. "How is it possible that you speak our language already?" Carter asked it. "The Alteran's have been gone for millions of years."

"This unit has subroutines that allow for language translation quickly."

"I didn't know the Alteran"s had much contact with other races that left them with the need for translation robots."

"They had contact with many race's, they are... where not the only race in the Universe."

"Well yes we know that, but we just assumed that they all learned each other's languages." Daniel stated.

"Not at first. And my programing required me to learn on my own. I know many languages." the robot stopped suddenly and looked around. "Please you must not let your people wonder around, there are many dangers."

"Dangers, what do you mean? "Sam asked with an alarmed tone.

"The station is not stable and some of the sections have lost their integrity, and have broken up from the heat of the star. The shields are now covering only the vital sections that allowed it to stay functional. I am sorry but you have arrived at the end of the stations operational parameters."

Sam grabbed her radio. "All teams stop what you are doing now and return to the cargo bay" Sam turned to the robot. "How long do we have?"

"It is hard to say but if my calculations are correct, the stations shields will fail with in three of your hours, but less is more likely then more. Systems are shutting down all over. I am unable to keep up with repairs."

An airman ran up to her. "Sir I found a Stargate up ahead at the end of the platform around that corner." he pointed down the walkway.

"Commander! Long range scanners are detecting several hyperspace windows opening" The Lt. stated looking at the screen.

"Who? Can you identify them?"

He stared at the screen waiting for the scanners display the scan results. "Two Ha'tak mother ships, Five Al'kesh. Several groups of death glider. All heading this way."

"Sir! Incoming signal."

"Open the channel airmen."

The face of the Lucian Alliance commander appeared on the main screen. "Two the Tau'ri battle ship's, our forces are superior. Your goal to obtain ancient technology to use against us has come to an end." the signal cut off.

"Sir they have opened fire."

"That was short and to the point. Full shields aft now." the ship rocked from the impact of the energy bolts from the Lucian Alliance larger ships as the death gliders began their attack runs.

"Return fire. Launch 302 now. Concentrate the main weapon on the mother ship's when it's charged. Get me Commander Carter on the line now."

The group walked around the corner and faced an old looking Stargate, and very noticeable it has not been used for centuries, but there was a humming, and a vibration in the floor. "My god that looks ancient. Does it even work?"

The robot rolled up. "Affirmative, but there is no reason to use it for its function is useless."

"Useless. Why?"

"Its function was to connect to two other Stargate's in two star's light years away."

"The first two coordinates we checked out. They went nova centuries ago. So the gates where used to energize the ZPM's then?"

"No they were used to create them, and then store the energy of the star through the gate connection."

Eli walked around the corner. "Cool it's just like the gate back on Destiny." He walked over to the console in the center of the room. "This is just like the layout on the gate control console also. Cool, wait there are only three addresses on the gate list. Why is that?"

"The gate is only used for one purpose."

Sam walks over and looks at the console from behind Eli. "Well, you said two locations where does the third one go?"

"Destiny!" Eli said. This is Destiny's address, I recognize it, why is there an address to Destiny?"

"Destiny, Yes that is the translation. Some of the ZPM's as you call them where to be taken there when the Alteran's felt it was time to go there and continue their exploring. They have sent automated ships deep into space to build a large Stargate network."

"I did find a lot of data about the ZPM's on Destiny, along with devices they look like they may allow them to be placed in them."

"How is it that you have been aboard Destiny without this gate? This is the first time you have arrived on this station."

Sam interrupted them. "We found a Stargate on a planet that was powered by the core. Though it was a more newer gate. It had a 9th chevron, but we didn't know where it went, until they got there." Her radio clicked.

"Sam, we have company, and they do not like us much, they have opened fired, but we are out gunned, and can't beam you out."

"Understood, keep me updated. Carter out." She said then let go of the radio. She turned to the SSgt next to her. "Let's wrap it up here and be ready to move out." At that moment the station rocked. "What the hell was that?"

"The station sensors indicate we are under fire. The station shields will not hold and we will soon succumb to the stars fury."

"What, you mean we came all this way just to die in the flames of the star?" Eli said franticly.

"I beg you forgiveness, but there is no other way off this station but the way that brought you here."

"Well at the moment that isn't an option."

Eli still standing next to the gate console looked down thinking. "Maybe not." He started pressing icon's on the display."

Carter walked up and stood in front of the console facing Eli knowing what he is thinking. "Are you sure it has the power?"

"It has a star for the power source, and was built to be used from here so ... Ya I think it does, but what other choice do we have."

"He is right Sam, it's the only way" Orlin said standing behind her. She turned and faced him.

"You need to stop popping in and out, ether stay or go. Why don't you just disable their weapons or something? At least to give us time to beam out."

"There are too many of them. Some may die. I am sorry."

The robot rolled up to him. "Sir you are an Alteran I thought you all gone. We did our best to maintain the station while you were gone, but you never returned."

"I am sorry unit 38144, but we... had a lot of thinking to do and just never thought to return. We had no need of any use of the power modules anymore."

"It is all right sir I await your orders."

"Yes... well gather as many of the cases that have powered units in them and bring them here, you will need to go with them."

"But sir my function is to maintain the station."

"Not any more. Now go, there is not much time."

Carter turned to the SSgt next to the robot. "SSgt take a team and help carry as many cases as you can back here, and hurry."

"Yes Ma'am." He pointed at six others, and they followed the robot.

Carter faced Orlin. "We need to talk orlin."

"Yes of course." They walked to the other side of the gate room.

"Orlin what's going on?" Sam said in a stern voice.

"I do not understand."

"I mean you show up with no notice, lead us on this quest to find who knows what just to find what we have been looking for. And now we have no choice but to go through the gate that leads to Destiny knowing that it is a one way trip. Forgive me but this makes me think that you or your other friends have an agenda. This makes me wonder how the alliance knew we were even here."

"Some of this maybe true but it was Eli that has started you on this path by finding the data concerning this facility. And we felt that allowing the use of the station together with all who have need of the modules that would bring peace to this galaxy some of us do feel we should at least try. I did pay a visit to them in hopes of starting a dialog between them and you, but it did not go so well."

"What happen?"

"They attempted to imprison me with some device in hope's to learn our secrets, but it did not work, but this happen after I had told them where you were heading. I had no Idea that their leaders where so ambitious and arrogant. They are leading their people into a direction of destruction."

"That is due to they rule with fear and intimidation."

"That is what we thought, so we will be doing something to help them."

"Wait." Sam said in a stern voice. "Why are you just now being so involved, do you know how many lives were lost due to the G'ould?"

"I am sorry Sam but there is no time to explain the political woes of my... colleagues. I did try to stop them as they entered the system but they told me to leave and accused me of working with the enemy, then told me to leave again." the station rock again.

"Sir." The robot said to Olin. "Another energy platform shield just collapsed, and it is gone."

"Samantha, you and your team need to go through the gate now. The station shields will not hold much longer, and the gate shields will fail shortly after that. This is to allow the gate to shut down to prevent the heat blast to transfer through the gate to the other side."

Carter grabbed her radio mic. "SSgt (?) Get your people back here we need to leave now."

"Already here Ma'am." The Stg said as they came around the corner followed by the rest of the detail pushing four cart's with several stacks of ZPM cases."

"And what about you? Come with us."

"I cannot. I need to try to hold the shields long enough to allow you to get to the other end."

"Eli dial the gate! Ok everyone let's get ready to move out." Eli finished dialing the gate address and the wormhole rushed back then forward, and settled back to the all too familiar puddle we all know "Ok move out. You to Eli. "The group moved through the gate leaving Carter standing on the ramp about to move through the event horizon Olin called to her.

"Sam tell Eli to continue to look for a way home, he is on the right track. When you get there tell them to press the icon bottom right."

She was about to ask why when the back of the station where the ZPM's finished their tracking before they were placed into the cases exploded and melted away as the shields failed just in front of a wall of fire. She turned and ran through the gate leaving Olin to his fate.

On board the bridge of the Lincoln, the Asgard monitoring the hyperspace engines studied a message scrolling across the communication screen followed by data on the stations status and what was happening with the shields as they slowly failed. "Commander these readings I am receiving indicate the stations shields are failing and with the power readings that are increasing astronomically, the station will explode and start a chain reaction with in the star and it may, wait yes confirmed, the star will go nova at the moment the station explodes. We need to leave soon, very soon."

"We are not going anywhere, the Alliance have taken out our engines."

The Asgard watched the message continue again but with a countdown telling him to enter hyperspace the minute it reaches zero. "Commander may I have control of the hyperdrive?"

"Why? Without our main engines we won't be able to jump."

"I may have a way but it will be close and I believe it may be our only chance."

"Very well Lt., transfer the hyperdrive control to his console."

"Yes sir."

"Please engage aft thrusters." The Asgard asked the Lt. sitting in the pilot's seat.

The Lt. Looked at his commander. "Sir?"

"Do it Lt." He then looked at the forward view screen.

The Asgard watched the count down on his screen, as the rest of the crew watched, the outer arms of the station began coming apart as the shields started to fail sealing the fate of Carter and her team. "Anytime now." The commander said as he walked up and stood behind the Asgard. "What's this count down?"

The Alliance commander aboard the Goa'ud Ha'tak mother ship sat and watched the Tau'ri battleship disappear into what looked like a hyperspace window but it was different in some way. "Commander, there was an incredible power surge from the Tau'ri ship as it jumped. I cannot explain what caused it. Wait, sir we need to leave now the star is expanding and is exploding." As he said this they watched as the firing inferno exploded and engulfed the Alliance fleet.

The last words the commander said under his breath where "Dame the Tau'ri."

To Be Continued


End file.
